Danger Zone
by Disney88
Summary: Kovu has become ruler of the Pridelands since Simba retired. However, trouble brews just as Kovu sends the newly joined lions into the wild for their first hunt. They encounter a threat that no on expected. Story is still in progress so be aware that this is only Chapter 1. Will continue writing more chapters. Rated T for now but rating may change as story evolves.
1. Chapter 1

I peered out into the night but I was met with nothing but silence. Cold, dreary silence. I looked up at the sky. It was a beautiful night. The stars were out but they were forming different shapes. I was looking directly at a constellation that took the form of a door. It was wedged right between a cow and a pocket knife. My eyes scanned the rest of the sky, searching for another object to catch my eye; unfortunately I found none. I huffed. The sky looked a shade darker than usual, casting dark shadows on Pride Rock. I twisted my mouth into a frown. I should go back to sleep. Tomorrow we're going to let the recently joined lions on their first hunt, just to see how they do.

Nala and Kiara are supposed to lead them. I'm nervous. Even though I know them for quite some time now, I can't help it. I guess it's the perfectionist in me. I just.. I want everything to go perfect. I cleared my head. It'll be alright. No one will get hurt. I've got to change my mind set. Maybe I should start meditating. It would probably help relieve a lot of stress. God, since when did I start turning into Simba? I thought. Mmm...I don't know. Maybe it all started when I took this fucking job! I sighed and looked down. I should stop ranting. It's time to go back to bed. One last look at the stars and I headed back into the den, this time determined to fall back asleep. The next day I woke up bright and early, much earlier than anyone else. I trotted out of the den, catching the glimpse of the sunrise as I exited the cave.

I looked out to the Pridelands, surveying the area. Everything was fine. There hadn't been any trouble for the last few weeks, except for a couple of rogue lions, which I scared off. Other than that everything seemed...normal. A little too normal. I heard footsteps behind me and I spun around to find Kiara behind me. She was staring at me, an unreadable expression on her face.

''Hey,'' I said, my voice husky from lack of use. ''Hey,'' Kiara responded, her voice light. She walked up to me, nuzzling me lightly. I nuzzled her back, finding comfort in her touch. ''You ok?'' she asked. ''I'm fine,'' I said. ''I'm just... I don't know. I'm kind of tripping out right now. I keep expecting danger at every corner and so far nothing's happened.'' I turned my back to her. ''Maybe I need to stop worrying so much,'' I said, defeated. ''I'm supposed to be king and yet here I am panicking at every corner. That's not what should be happening. I'm the leader of this pride now, I have control. Simba's no longer in charge here; I am. I need to show the pride that I'm strong, that I can be tough, that I can be just as strong as Simba. He entrusted me with his pride before he retired and I'm not going to let him down.''

''It's fine, Kovu,'' Kiara's vocie said, snapping me out of my thoughts. ''This whole being king thing is new to you. I heard everyone has kind of a rough time adjusting. You'll get the hang of it.'' I smiled at her. ''Yeah I guess you're right,'' I murmured, though I made sure I said it loud enough for her to hear me. ''You guess?'' Kiara scoffed playfully. ''Oh c'mon, Kovu, you know I'm right,'' she bragged. ''Aren't you always?'' I said wryly, returning back to my sarcastic self.

''Stop,'' Kiara teased, playfully slapping my face with her paw. I laughed, putting my paws on her chest and pushing her down. We both laughed. Kiara rolled on top of me, pinning me to the floor of the rock. I almost blushed. I had to admit, I wasn't expecting that. ''Now this is how I like it,'' I said seductively, my voice going an octave lower. ''Oh my God,'' Kiara laughed, getting off of me. ''I can't Kovu.'' I stood up. I liked fucking with her like that. Kiara and I have this weird relationship where we both tease (and occasionally mock) each other just to get on each other's nerves. It's fun; it's something we both take pleasure in. It's a strange thing that only we have, because we both get each other. ''Relax Kovu,'' Kiara said, having stopped laughing. ''You'll be a great king.'' She walked off leaving me alone in my thoughts.

I looked up at the rising sky was a bright pink, illuminating the ground below. Birds darted across the sky, trying to get to their destination. I smiled to myself and breathed deeply. It smelled so nice. The grass was deep and green and lush. The trees had grown back and were now bursting with flowers. I heard the faint humming of music. Classic Rafiki. Always playing music at every hour of the day, no matter how early or later it was. My wind switched back to today. Today was the big day. Time to see if my old pride was worthy of being part of the Pride Lands. One by one, they emerged from the cave, serious expressions painted on their faces. I slowly approached them.

''Today is a very important day,'' I said. ''Today is the day that the former Outsiders show our worth to Pride Rock. Now remember, I want you to know that whatever happens, I still care about you guys. I just want you to really try. Don't let your guard down. Always be alert. Use your sense of smell if you have to. ''Don't worry Kovu,'' Vitani said. ''We won't disappoint you.'' I nodded at her, showing my approval. Just then Nala walked up to the front; she was now only inches away from my face. ''No need to worry Kovu,'' she said gently. ''they'll be safe with us.''

''I'm sure you guys will be safe,'' I said. Of course they would. What could go wrong? Vitani approached me. ''It'll be fine, Kovu. We'll make it back in one piece.'' I nodded again. ''Now go off,'' I said, feeling that same nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach. Before she left, Kiara turned to me and smiled. ''I'll be back before you know it,'' she said confidently. ''Be careful,'' I said, nuzzling her. I didn't care if anyone saw us or not. It was our thing and it meant something to us. I pulled away from Kiara. She smiled back at me. ''I know you'll do well,'' I said and Kiara headed off with the other lionesses. I watched her go, feeling my heart pound in my chest. I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to find Rafiki looking down at me with a small smile on his face.

''Kovu, how are you doing?'' he asked. ''I'm doing fine.'' I lied. I didn't want Rafiki to know what I was really feeling inside. I've always felt awkward expressing myself, as I never really learned how. It's a side that I don't really get to show a lot, especially now that I'm king. ''Be honest with me, I know your nervous.'' My eyes widened. How the hell was Rafiki able to figure that out? ''You- you can tell?'' I stuttered. ''Of course your horrible at hiding your emotions,'' Rafiki added. I huffed. Guess I was more obvious than I thought. ''Well I guess if we're being honest,'' I sighed. ''I'm nervous as shit. I don't know how this thing is going to go. I don't know how far into the Outlands they'll go. I don't know if they'll find danger or not. I don't even know if this will be the last time I'll see any of them again.'' I suddenly felt a lot better. I can feel my shoulders slip and my chest release itself from its self-imposed cage.

Thank God. That little fear was slowly killing me and I hadn't even realized it. ''There you are,'' I heard Rafiki say. ''Now don't you feel better?'' I nodded stupidly, feeling like a cub again. Maybe Kiara was right. Maybe opening up about my feelings would help me get to a ''better place,'' whatever that means. Rafiki shook my head, causing a few hairs from my mane to come out. ''They'll be fine kiddo. Stop worrying. You already have enough to worry about as it is as king, you don't need anything else.'' ''Yeah,'' I said. There was a slight pause. ''Thanks Rafiki,'' I said. ''I feel a lot better now. I guess I just had to get that out.'' Rafiki nodded in agreement. Just then I heard the rustling of grass. I looked over to find our lionesses running back to us, moving as fast as bullets. I gasped and climbed down from the rock. ''What's wrong?'' I asked, concern etched on my face. ''We were ambushed by a group of Outsiders,'' Kiara said. ''they were too much for us.''


	2. Chapter 2

I peered out into the night but I was met with nothing but silence. Cold, dreary silence. I looked up at the sky. It was a beautiful night. The stars were out but they were forming different shapes. I was looking directly at a constellation that took the form of a door. It was wedged right between a cow and a pocket knife. My eyes scanned the rest of the sky, searching for another object to catch my eye; unfortunately I found none. I huffed. The sky looked a shade darker than usual, casting dark shadows on Pride Rock. I twisted my mouth into a frown. I should go back to sleep. Tomorrow we're going to let the recently joined lions on their first hunt, just to see how they do.

Nala and Kiara are supposed to lead them. I'm nervous. Even though I know them for quite some time now, I can't help it. I guess it's the perfectionist in me. I just.. I want everything to go perfect. I cleared my head. It'll be alright. No one will get hurt. I've got to change my mind set. Maybe I should start meditating. It would probably help relieve a lot of stress. God, since when did I start turning into Simba? I thought. Mmm...I don't know. Maybe it all started when I took this fucking job! I sighed and looked down. I should stop ranting. It's time to go back to bed. One last look at the stars and I headed back into the den, this time determined to fall back asleep. The next day I woke up bright and early, much earlier than anyone else. I trotted out of the den, catching the glimpse of the sunrise as I exited the cave.

I looked out to the Pridelands, surveying the area. Everything was fine. There hadn't been any trouble for the last few weeks, except for a couple of rogue lions, which I scared off. Other than that everything seemed...normal. A little too normal. I heard footsteps behind me and I spun around to find Kiara behind me. She was staring at me, an unreadable expression on her face.

''Hey,'' I said, my voice husky from lack of use. ''Hey,'' Kiara responded, her voice light. She walked up to me, nuzzling me lightly. I nuzzled her back, finding comfort in her touch. ''You ok?'' she asked. ''I'm fine,'' I said. ''I'm just... I don't know. I'm kind of tripping out right now. I keep expecting danger at every corner and so far nothing's happened.'' I turned my back to her. ''Maybe I need to stop worrying so much,'' I said, defeated. ''I'm supposed to be king and yet here I am panicking at every corner. That's not what should be happening. I'm the leader of this pride now, I have control. Simba's no longer in charge here; I am. I need to show the pride that I'm strong, that I can be tough, that I can be just as strong as Simba. He entrusted me with his pride before he retired and I'm not going to let him down.''

''It's fine, Kovu,'' Kiara's vocie said, snapping me out of my thoughts. ''This whole being king thing is new to you. I heard everyone has kind of a rough time adjusting. You'll get the hang of it.'' I smiled at her. ''Yeah I guess you're right,'' I murmured, though I made sure I said it loud enough for her to hear me. ''You guess?'' Kiara scoffed playfully. ''Oh c'mon, Kovu, you know I'm right,'' she bragged. ''Aren't you always?'' I said wryly, returning back to my sarcastic self.

''Stop,'' Kiara teased, playfully slapping my face with her paw. I laughed, putting my paws on her chest and pushing her down. We both laughed. Kiara rolled on top of me, pinning me to the floor of the rock. I almost blushed. I had to admit, I wasn't expecting that. ''Now this is how I like it,'' I said seductively, my voice going an octave lower. ''Oh my God,'' Kiara laughed, getting off of me. ''I can't Kovu.'' I stood up. I liked fucking with her like that. Kiara and I have this weird relationship where we both tease (and occasionally mock) each other just to get on each other's nerves. It's fun; it's something we both take pleasure in. It's a strange thing that only we have, because we both get each other. ''Relax Kovu,'' Kiara said, having stopped laughing. ''You'll be a great king.'' She walked off leaving me alone in my thoughts.

I looked up at the rising sky was a bright pink, illuminating the ground below. Birds darted across the sky, trying to get to their destination. I smiled to myself and breathed deeply. It smelled so nice. The grass was deep and green and lush. The trees had grown back and were now bursting with flowers. I heard the faint humming of music. Classic Rafiki. Always playing music at every hour of the day, no matter how early or later it was. My wind switched back to today. Today was the big day. Time to see if my old pride was worthy of being part of the Pride Lands. One by one, they emerged from the cave, serious expressions painted on their faces. I slowly approached them.

''Today is a very important day,'' I said. ''Today is the day that the former Outsiders show our worth to Pride Rock. Now remember, I want you to know that whatever happens, I still care about you guys. I just want you to really try. Don't let your guard down. Always be alert. Use your sense of smell if you have to. ''Don't worry Kovu,'' Vitani said. ''We won't disappoint you.'' I nodded at her, showing my approval. Just then Nala walked up to the front; she was now only inches away from my face. ''No need to worry Kovu,'' she said gently. ''they'll be safe with us.''

''I'm sure you guys will be safe,'' I said. Of course they would. What could go wrong? Vitani approached me. ''It'll be fine, Kovu. We'll make it back in one piece.'' I nodded again. ''Now go off,'' I said, feeling that same nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach. Before she left, Kiara turned to me and smiled. ''I'll be back before you know it,'' she said confidently. ''Be careful,'' I said, nuzzling her. I didn't care if anyone saw us or not. It was our thing and it meant something to us. I pulled away from Kiara. She smiled back at me. ''I know you'll do well,'' I said and Kiara headed off with the other lionesses. I watched her go, feeling my heart pound in my chest. I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to find Rafiki looking down at me with a small smile on his face.

''Kovu, how are you doing?'' he asked. ''I'm doing fine.'' I lied. I didn't want Rafiki to know what I was really feeling inside. I've always felt awkward expressing myself, as I never really learned how. It's a side that I don't really get to show a lot, especially now that I'm king. ''Be honest with me, I know your nervous.'' My eyes widened. How the hell was Rafiki able to figure that out? ''You- you can tell?'' I stuttered. ''Of course your horrible at hiding your emotions,'' Rafiki added. I huffed. Guess I was more obvious than I thought. ''Well I guess if we're being honest,'' I sighed. ''I'm nervous as shit. I don't know how this thing is going to go. I don't know how far into the Outlands they'll go. I don't know if they'll find danger or not. I don't even know if this will be the last time I'll see any of them again.'' I suddenly felt a lot better. I can feel my shoulders slip and my chest release itself from its self-imposed cage.

Thank God. That little fear was slowly killing me and I hadn't even realized it. ''There you are,'' I heard Rafiki say. ''Now don't you feel better?'' I nodded stupidly, feeling like a cub again. Maybe Kiara was right. Maybe opening up about my feelings would help me get to a ''better place,'' whatever that means. Rafiki shook my head, causing a few hairs from my mane to come out. ''They'll be fine kiddo. Stop worrying. You already have enough to worry about as it is as king, you don't need anything else.'' ''Yeah,'' I said. There was a slight pause. ''Thanks Rafiki,'' I said. ''I feel a lot better now. I guess I just had to get that out.'' Rafiki nodded in agreement. Just then I heard the rustling of grass. I looked over to find our lionesses running back to us, moving as fast as bullets. I gasped and climbed down from the rock. ''What's wrong?'' I asked, concern etched on my face. ''We were ambushed by a group of Outsiders,'' Kiara said. ''they were too much for us.'' Then she passed out.

My mind stopped working. For a second, I wasn't even sure if what I had just seen was real. I thought I was living in a dream. No I thought, panic flooding my system, this can't be happening. I watched in horror as Vitani and Nala picked Kiara up and walked off. All of a sudden I heard a voice cry ''Kovu! Kovu!'' I spun around to see Timon and Pumbaa stumble towards me. ''I- Is she going to be alright?'' I asked. ''I don't know buddy. She looked pretty...hurt.'' Timon said, putting emphasis on hurt. I can feel myself beginning to panic. ''No-no!'' I screamed. I ran away from Timon and Pumbaa, heading to where Vitani and Nala had carried Kiara. I ran up the rock as fast as I could, desperate to catch up with them. I dodged other lionesses who were trudging behind them, uttering many apologies and ''Excuse me's,'' in the process. I got to the top where I saw them and desperately cried out. ''Wait! Wait! Stop!'' I cried. Nala and Vitani turned to face me, sorrowful expressions on their faces. I stood there, breathing heavily, unsure of what to do. Finally I said ''How is she? Can I see her?''

Vitani spoke up. ''Kovu - I- ''That wouldn't be the best idea right now,'' Nala said gently, cutting Vitani off. ''I know you want to see her but she needs her rest.'' Nala continued when she saw I was going to protest. I held my tongue but I knew I wouldn't be silent. I tried to calm down as I tried again to persuade her. ''Please,'' I begged. ''Let me see her.'' Nala shook her head sadly and walked off with Vitani. I could feel my heart break. How could Nala do this to me? She's my wife I should be allowed to see her regardless. I felt anger bubbling inside of me. I was not afraid to let out my dominant side at times and this was one of them. I've got to get to her I thought frantically. She needs me. I ran up the hill as fast as I could, reaching the den in what felt like seconds. A group of lionesses were already forming around the cave, in an effort to keep intruders out. One of the lionesses, Leya, stepped out of the crowd and glared at me. ''Leave Kovu,'' she tried to sound tough but her voice cracked. ''Leya, please get out of my way,'' I said, trying to remain calm. ''Kovu, I can't do that.'' she said wearily. She sounded tired, defeated. Clearly the attack had taken a lot out of her too. But I wasn't going to be nice. I had to see her. ''Get out of my way!'' I growled. I jumped over the crowd and raced towards the cave floor. I could hear one of the lionesses scream ''Get him!'' as I ran deeper inside my home. I gasped when I saw Kiara. It was worse than I thought.

Her face was bruised; tiny cuts decorated her cheeks. Her mouth was split open and was covered in blood. Her left eye was squeezed shut and was a dark purple. The skin beneath her right eye was swollen. I let out a shaky breath. How can this have happened to her? Surely someone was watching out for her right? I quickly scanned the rest of her body with my eyes. Her stomach had multiple scars and bruises; patches of her fur were ripped out. I felt a huge weight rest on my shoulders. This was my fault. It's my fault she ended up like this. I felt tears well up in my eyes. I tried to rationalize it; how was I supposed to know of the danger that was ahead? I felt a paw on my shoulder and I jumped away, taken aback by the gesture. Vitani looked at me, a mixture of pain and sorrow etched on to her face. ''I'm sorry Kovu,'' she apologized. ''We tried our best -we really did- but... we were outnumbered.'' Vitani explained. I let out a choked sob. I felt my eyes begin to sting. I brushed the tears away with my paw, trying to keep it together. If I kept calm, everyone else would. I led my example. I took a deep breath, trying to collect my thoughts. I could feel the anger writhe inside of me. I turned to Nala ''Who did this?'' I demanded. ''What?'' she said, confused. She seemed to be in a daze. ''Who did this?'' I repeated, venom in my voice.

''I -I don't know,'' Nala said. ''They seemed to be Outsiders. They just came out of nowhere. We were hunting for deer and they just came charging at us.'' I turned away from her. ''Do you know where they went?'' I asked. ''No, I- Kovu,'' she narrowed her eyes at me. ''You're not going to go after them. It'll only make things worse.'' ''They hurt me, I'll hurt them right back,'' I spat. ''Don't be stupid,'' Vitani retorted. ''You're going to get yourself killed.'' I wanted to cry out. I was in pain and I wanted revenge. ''Kovu, I think you need to go outside,'' Vitani suggested. ''No, I don't!'' I snapped. I stared back at her, anger blaring in my eyes. Vitani had a look of panic written on her face. Her eyes were filled with worry. I'd never seen her so scared in my life. I instantly regretted what I had just did. ''I-I'm sorry,'' I apologized. ''I think you should go,'' Vitani said, not looking at me. I could feel my heart swell. Was she... scared of me? No, I- I'm not a monster. I would never lay a paw on her in my life, even out of spite. Slowly, I walked out of the cave, head bowed, eyes cast down. That hadn't gone well. As I walked down the hill, I could feel the anger return with a vengeance. I was itching to fight. No , not fight. Talk. I wanted some answers, find out who these lions were. I'll find them I thought. It couldn't be too hard not many lions live in the Outlands. I picked up my pace and started to run. I ran as fast as I could down the hill and into the valley below. I was going to find these lions, find out who they were and what they wanted. I prayed to the spirits I could reason with them.


	3. Chapter 3

I was running as fast as I could through the jungle, eager to reach the Outlands. I told myself to calm down but I was seeing red. I couldn't think clearly; I was running robotically, like I had been programmed to do so. I darted past buffalos and elephants and giraffes and zebras. Nothing was going to stop me now. I didn't stop running until night had fallen. I gasped for air; my throat had become raw and ached whenever I tried to take in a breath. My chest was heaving up and down and I felt as if was pressing against my heart. My head was pounding and I felt dizzy.

I have to sit down I thought, I groaned as I sat down, feeling both my throat and chest constrict. I curled up on my side and tried to clam my breathing. With luck, I'd be successful. I nearly groaned again. Fuck, I had to get something to eat – and something to drink. I sighed, wincing as I felt the pain return. I quickly found a young impala and killed it. I savored every last bit of flesh. For all I knew, this could be my last meal. I found a nearby stream and lapped it up, enjoying the cool taste. I settled back down for the night, exhausted by my trip.

Tomorrow was going to be a tough day; I was going to face Kiara's attackers. I could feel my blood boil at the thought of that. They hurt her. My Kiara, brutally slashed and cut and beaten. Not anymore I thought as I pictured Kiara bleeding in front of me. This won't ever happen again. I pushed her to the back of my mind. I needed to rest for my big kill. Sleep, as I later found out, was futile. I had horrible, terrifying dreams of Kiara lying in front of me. I could see the pride laughing, even though I hadn't seen them. I could hear their laughter ringing violently in my ears, even though I had no idea what they sounded like. In just a couple of hours I had become obsessed with finding them. I hadn't even been at the attack and they were all I could think about. It's almost as if the attack had subconsciously implanted itself in my mind. I had been thinking about it all day and I didn't know how to get rid of them.

I tossed and turned in my sleep, actually praying that something would wake me up from this nightmare that my life had turned into. Seeing my pride in pain had been my biggest fear upon taking the throne and now that fear had become real. It was eating away at me, like some awful disease. I growled in my sleep. Please wake up I thought. C'mon wake up Kovu. Wake up. I gasped, opening my eyes in what felt like ages. I looked around. No one was there. I returned to sleep, hoping I'd sleep the whole night this time.

The next day, I continued my hunt for the pride. As I entered deeper into the Outlands, I couldn't shake the feeling of Déjà vu. It felt so strange to be back here, in this foreign place; it felt like a wasteland compared to the Pridelands. It felt so ugly, so dead. I ignored this and kept on running. I was going to get their one way or another. Finally, I reached their palace. I stood there, panting, trying to catch my breath. As I surveyed my surroundings, my disgust for my former home grew. It was so…filthy. Disgusting. Horrendous.

There were fossils and dead plants littering the whole ground; the ground had cracked and had become hardened. It didn't look like a place anybody wanted to live in. I pushed this out of my mind and kept going forward. I soon spotted the home I grew up in. It was cracked and withered, despite the fact that it was made out of rock. The palace still looked menacing, with its looming towers and jagged edges. I sighed as I approached it. Someone new had taken up residence while I had been gone. I quietly walked into the kingdom, suddenly feeling out of place. I looked around me. The walls looked thinner and more fragile than before. Every step I took was met with a sounding crack as my paw made contact with the ground.

I searched for signs of anyone. There was no one around. Great I showed up when no one was here. Just my luck. All of a sudden I heard a crackling sound ahead of me. I paused. Someone was here. I slowly continued walking into the castle, feeling myself become more and more entrenched in the darkness. It felt like I had walked half the Pridelands when I reached the old throne of my mother. I stood there, gasping for breath once again. I winced; my head was still pounding. I winced; my head was pounding. I could feel the blood rushing through my head, trying to return to its proper place. I ground my paws into the ground, seeking for something to hold onto. Finally, I looked up and felt my heart drop when I saw who was surrounding me; it was the pride who attacked Kiara, the current Outsiders. There were two of them in front of me, one at my left and one on my right, and one behind me.

Before I had a chance to speak, I felt myself being pinned down by one of the lions. He glared at me with a mixture of rage and suspicion; I stared back at him, refusing to be intimidated. He had dark brown eyes, nearly back in color, a golden pelt of fur slapped neatly onto his body, and a vivid, puffy rede mane. He had a round nose and whiskers that stuck out of his face rather awkwardly. He actually would have been handsome, had it not been for the ugly scar that ran from his eye to the bottom of his jaw. I tried to push him down off me but he pushed me back down, growling at me. I had half the nerve to growl back but I remembered I was surrounded by a group of lions that were willing to attack anyone who stepped into the grounds. This was not my territory anymore; it was theirs.

I let him pin me down; I could have easily killed him if I wanted to. However, considering it was six against one, I was greatly outnumbered. The lion sitting on the throne, whom I assumed was the leader, stepped down from the throne and walked toward me. He was big and muscular, with a bright yellow pelt and a dark red mane. He almost looked like Simba.

He sauntered up to me, walking slowly. As soon as he reached me, I wanted to do nothing more than look away; his eyes were boring holes into me. They were piercing and hollow; they were a haunting blue, almost as blue as the sky itself. He spoke up "Who are you?'' his voice was rough and deep and reminded me of coal. It sounded nothing like Simba's. "I-'' I said weakly "I'm Kovu. I came here to talk to you.'' "About what?'' the lion inquired. "Well, if you tell your lackey to get off me, I'm sure we can have a pretty decent conversation.'' I explained through gritted teeth. The lion stared back at me for a second; then, with a flick of his paw, said "Give him some room to breathe, Rana.'' The lion that had pinned me down to the cave floor quickly got off of me, allowing the air to rush into my lungs. I struggled to sit up, feeling my chest ache.

''Why do you want to talk to me?'' the lion asked. ''First,'' I snapped, cutting him off, "I wan to know your name.'' "The name's Reiko, and I, am the leader of the Outlands,'' he said, introducing himself. "Now,'' he said, staring at me with a mixture of annoyance and suspicion ''why are you here?'' "I came here to talk to you. My mate Kiara was attacked by your pride. I came here to reason with you." I could feel the anger in my voice as I finished that last sentence. I was trying my best to contain it but it was ebbing out of me like water out of a faucet. Reiko's face fell and I saw his face switch from one of mistrust to pity. "I'm sorry, we didn't…mean to hurt her,'' Reiko said, putting emphasis on her. ''But understand, we don't take trespassers very lightly here. We strive to protect our young cubs at any cost.'' Reiko stated, hurt evident in his voice. I let my anger die down a bit, trying to comprehend what was happening in front of me.

Did he actually feel bad for attacking Kiara? Unbelievable. As Outsiders, we're taught to attack without guilt or remorse. It's in our nature. This was…different. "My pride and I are sorry for what happened,'' Reiko explained. ''but if I ever catch you any one of you Pridelanders on our land again, I won't hesitate to kill you,'' he warned. I nodded, telling him I understood.

"I won't trespass here again sir,'' I replied. ''Me or my people will never come into contact with yours.'' What the hell was I doing? Why was I backing down? I'm supposed to be a king, not a submissive servant; a leader, not a coward. Why was I so scared of him? Before I had time to rationalize my thoughts, Reiko's nasal voice broke through my mind. ''If an apology what was you were looking for, you are now free to leave. I gulped. Straightforward, brusque, to the point. No one to fuck around with. With a feeble, ''Thank you sir,'' I gathered my remaining pride and left the castle, vowing to never come back. As I left the Outlands, I could feel the glare of the other Outsiders. I ran as fast as I could back to the Pridelands, my tail between my legs.

I couldn't stop thinking about the fear I had displayed in front of Reiko. What the hell was that? Why did I show fear in front of him? I should have stood my ground and asserted my dominance. I embarrassed myself in front of him. Now he thinks I'm weak. I pushed this thought out of my mind as I raced back to the Pridelands. I don't know how long it took me to get back but it was nightfall by the time I reached Pride Rock. My bones were aching and my body was burning. I heard a voice cry out in the darkness: "''Kovu!''

I looked up. It was Vitani accompanied by Timon and Pumbaa. Timon was riding on Pumbaa as usual. I wheezed in a breath, feeling my head spin. I felt as if I was going to pass out. I felt a sudden warmth right next to me and I looked over to see Vitani standing by my side. She smiled weakly at me and said "Come on. Let's get some rest.'' I groaned as they helped me walk inside the cave. They set me down on the cold ground and I felt myself shiver.

"It's so cold,'' I rasped. Vitani nodded and left to go get me a blanket. "Are you okay there, buddy?'' Pumbaa asked, inching closer to me. "Yeah, you look kind of…weak." Timon said, not making me feel better at all. "I-need-water," I said, my throat aching. "What?'' Timon asked, confused. He clearly hadn't heard me. "I said I-need-water,'' I repeated, putting emphasis on the last word. "Oh shit, sorry buddy, we'll get that for you,'' Timon said. He and Pumbaa quickly retreated from the cave. Vitani came back holding a wool blanket in her mouth. "Here Kovu,'' she said, draping it over me. ''Thanks,'' I said. I felt warm again, comforted again. I didn't feel so lonely anymore. Timon and Pumbaa came rushing back in with water, spilling it along the way. I gave a slight chuckle at that, even though I could feel my throat constrict as I laughed.

The three of them sat around me, forming a circle. "What's happened bud?'' Timon asked. "Are you hurt?'' Vitani asked. "No, I-,'' I attempted to explain myself but Pumbaa was already making a mess of the situation. "Oh I knew it! I knew he was hurt! He's too ashamed too admit it!'' he cried. With that said he burst into tears. Timon and Vitani tried to clam him down but Pumbaa was already having a field day with this one. "Hey, it's ok buddy, I'm fine.'' I said to Pumbaa but he wasn't listening. "Oh it's such as shame!'' Who's going to rule the Pridelands now? I guess it'll be just the three of us now. Timon. We're going to have to step it up in terms of our duties-'' "Pumbaa, I'm fine,'' I snapped, finally managing to get to him. ''You-you are?'' he asked, having stopped crying. "Yes, I'm fine, I'm just dehydrated,'' I explained. "Oh,'' Pumbaa's face fell, obviously embarrassed at having overreacted.

''So what happened?'' Vitani asked. She pushed the bowl of water closer to me with her paw. I drank the water as fast as possible, trying to ease my sore throat. When I was done, I decided to talk. "I went to see the Outsiders yesterday,'' I explained. "I went back to my-our-old home,'' I said, looking at Vitani as I said it. She remained still as I said this, completely unfazed. "It's really dead there. If you thought it was shit when we lived there, it's even worse now.'' I continued. ''The ground's all dried up and there's no food to eat. The palace itself is even cracked. Anyway, that's not the point. I met the new leader of the Outsiders,''

"What's his name?'' Vitani asked. "Reiko. He and a couple of other dozen lions are living there now.'' "What's he like? Is he big? Ugly? Scary?'' Timon sked, making animated gestures with his hands. "It doesn't matter because we're never setting foot there again.'' I said. "Like we ever wanted to,'' Timon scoffed. His face fell when he realized Vitani and I were looking at him. "Sorry,'' he apologized. "Is this part of a deal or something?'' Vitani asked. I nodded. I nodded. ''Yes. Reiko said he'll leave us alone if never step onto his land again.'' I said.

"That's good,'' Vitani remarked. "That's being generous,'' I said. "I don't like the idea, especially because I want to avenge Kiara, but I have no choice. I must stay in my territory for my own good." Silence fell upon us. ''We'll give you some time for yourself, buddy.'' Timon said. "You need to rest,'' Vitani reminded me. The three of them exited the cave.

"Wait,'' I said. Vitani stopped in her tracks. "Where's Kiara?'' I asked. "She's with Rafiki,'' Vitani said and left.


	4. Chapter 4

The rest of the day had been quiet. There was really no drama except for the elephants, who had a habit of consistently crossing over to the cheetahs side, who did not appreciate it. I quickly talked them down, telling the elephants to keep their distance. That night, the lionesses went hunting as usual, but I made Kiara stay behind. She threw a fit, of course.

"This isn't fair!'' Kiara whined, pulling her mouth into a disappointed frown. I sighed. I really didn't want to fight right now.

"Look Kiara, this is it. End of discussion ok?'' I really just wanted to end this. I didn't want to fight with her right now; I was already worried about her as it was.

"I promise I won't get hurt!'' Kiara said, desperation in her voice.

"No,'' I said, shaking my head in disapproval.

"Wha-ugh- you're treating me like a little kid!'' Kiara spat, anger all of a sudden appearing in her tone. I turned to her. She really wanted to start something right now? Fine, she'd get what she was asking for.

"I'm not treating you like a kid. I'm looking out for you!'' I hissed, my breath catching in my throat as I said the last word. Couldn't she see I was doing everything I could to _protect_ her? Why couldn't she understand that?

"You really don't get it, do you?'' I said, looking down at the floor in hopes of quelling my anger. This was an old trick I practiced growing up. When I was a cub, I was prone to fits of anger. My mom would tell me that I had to learn when to use that anger and when not to. In such, I learned to master that anger by looking down at the floor, in hopes of concentrating on anything else. Within a few seconds, that anger would die and would be replaced with a neutral sort of feeling. It's worked in most cases, but now I'm not so sure, with Kiara testing my patience with every bitch and moan.

"Don't look down at the floor! Look at me!'' Kiara ordered, sounding more like a spoiled brat throwing a temper tantrum than an actual grown lioness with responsibilities. I shot her a dirty look. _Don't test me_ I thought. Kiara did not want to see me angry; I'd never hurt her but I could be mean. Really, really mean. Trust me, that was something she didn't want to see.

"How about instead of whining you take it like an adult and grow up!'' I fired back, feeling my body beginning to tremble. _Stop_ I thought. _Don't lose your temper. You're supposed to be professional._

"How can I possibly just sit here and take it when you have me holed up in here all day long like a newborn cub!'' Kiara screamed. I nearly flinched. She'd never raised her voice at me, not in the three years since we'd been married. I'd struck a nerve, a nerve I had no idea I had breached until now. This was a new side to her, a side I'd never seen before. It was ugly and disgusting, childish and self-involved. I had no idea she could be like this.

"You're acting like a child! I suggest you shut up and take it, because those are my final words on this matter and I will not budge any further!'' Kiara fell silent at that matter. Good. I had managed to get her to shut up about it for one second. I felt a smug feeling rise up in my chest but it was quelled by disappointment. I had never lost my temper before. I had failed. I thought I had this under control and I had failed miserably. I immediately felt regret curl itself up in my chest.

I looked up at Kiara. She was looking at me in shock, completely stunned into silence.

I felt my heart break. Great. Now I had to apologize. I was just about to say I was sorry when Kiara decided to have another go.

"Why do you think its ok to keep me in here like a caged animal? I don't feel free Kovu; I feel trapped, completely alone. And it's your fault.'' Hot tears were streaming down Kiara's face as she spoke. I quickly realized they weren't tears of sadness; they were tears of anger. She was pissed at me. Her eyes were bloodshot and the veins in her eyes were seconds away from bursting. I wanted to say something to Kiara but I didn't know what to say. Sorry didn't even sound close to an apology. I was about to speak when Kiara interrupted me again

"Can you just listen to me for once? I'm in pain, Kovu. I can't go anywhere without someone thinking I'm going to get killed! I hear them talk about me 'Look at the princess, she looks terrible. She shouldn't be going off by herself like that.' I can talk care of myself, I'm an adult! I don't need someone watching over me like I'm some fragile flower that can disappear within any second!'' Kiara screamed that last part at me. This time, I could feel her rage. It was coming off in waves, infecting me and making me angry as well.

"I need to protect you. It's my job. You're my queen. I'm your mate and I need to-"

"Don't give me that I need to protect you because I'm the man of the household masculine bullshit!'' Kiara roared, her body beginning to tremble. I stood my ground, refusing to be intimidated. I looked up at her one more time. On the outside, she was healing nicely; her scars had faded and the slash in her nose and abdomen were beginning to fade as well. On the outside, though, she was furious. I could tell she'd been holding this in for a while, if her tone was anything to come by.

"I think you need to let me do what I want to do because I'm the queen and I deserve to have full control of where I-''

"You almost died!'' I screamed, cutting her off midsentence. If I thought she had shut up earlier, she had really shut up now. She clamped her mouth shut, and stared at me with blazing eyes. It hurt me to see her like this but I need to call her out on her bullshit before I could consider her feelings.

"You almost fucking died! When I saw you that day, I thought I had lost everything! It was my worst nightmare come to life, with the exception of being like Scar! You don't know what I was going through, what I was feeling! So yes, forgive me for sounding like an asshole right now but I. Need. You. Here! I know it hurts you but I need you to listen me! Stop making everything about yourself! You didn't even consider how I was feeling, spending every single day worried about you! So please, for the love of God, stay the fuck here and don't move!''

With that said I left. I slithered past Kiara, watching her look at me with a mixture of anger and despair in her eyes. I didn't care; she deserved it. Let her cry, see how much pain she caused me. I walked down Pride Rock, feeling eyes on the back of my head as I left the scene of the crime.

My heart was racing and I felt as if I was going to explode. I was so angry, so pissed off. Who the hell did Kiara think she was to sit there and bitch to me? She wasn't the one who freaked out because she thought the love of her life was going to die! She had no right to sit there and be angry and cry about how she felt trapped in the palace! Please! What a first world problem.

I heard footsteps scurrying behind me and I turned around to see Timon and Pumbaa behind me coming down the rock, anxious expressions on their faces. Usually, seeing the sight of them would lighten up my mood or make me feel remorse for what I just did but for some reason it only served to make me angrier. I did _not_ want to hear what they had to say.

"What?'' I spat, venom in my tone. I must have sounded pretty angry because that was enough to make them stop in their tracks, and trust me, if you know them, you know nothing stops Timon and Pumbaa when they're on a mission.

"We just…wanted to see if you were ok buddy,'' Timon said timidly, daring to look me in the eye. No one looked me in the eye when I was pissed. That was a bad move on Timon's part.

"We overheard the argument and- we just want you to know we're here for you,'' Pumbaa said assuredly.

I rolled my eyes. Do you want to tell me something I don't know?

"Look buddy, we understand you were angry but you had no right to talk to Kiara like that-''Timon started.

I bared my teeth. Wrong fucking move.

"She wasn't even considering how _I_ would feel if she left Pride Rock alone. The only person she could think about was herself. Trust me, my anger towards her is justified.''

"Maybe if you just tried telling her how you feel instead of coming off like a jerk, you wouldn't be in this situation right now.'' Timon babbled

"She completely tossed my feelings out the window just because she feels slighted that she can't go out!'' I growled.

"Look Kovu, I think you need to breathe, ok? I understand you were stressed about Kiara but she's fine now.'' Pumbaa said, his voice dripping with sadness.

"She's not fine! She's barely healed and she wants to go out there and act like a dumbass all so she can feel free again! What if he comes back? What's she going to say then?'' Timon and Pumbaa stared at me with their mouths open, eyes wide and in shock. They were terrified of that idea and from the look of it, they hadn't even been thinking about it. Idiots.

"You-you said you made a deal with him.'' Timon said, hurt breaking through his words.

"It doesn't mean he'll keep it,'' I said coldly. I had to be prepared for anything and everything. This was _my_ kingdom now. I had to protect it; I have to do what Simba couldn't. Just then, Timon said something he really shouldn't have.

"No offense buddy, but I think your becoming a little paranoid, don't you think? I don't think Reikbut or whatever his name is will break his promise.''

"Do you ever stop talking?'' I drawled. I immediately regretted those words as soon as they came out of my mouth. Timon looked at me, crestfallen, and Pumbaa even looked hurt. They had never seen me like this before; no one had. It was a side I had refused to show, because it was ugly and mean and showed all my flaws.

I quickly tried to apologize.

"I-I'm sorry,'' I said, my voice cracking from all the yelling I had done earlier.

"That's fine buddy. We'll give you some time to yourself.'' Timon said sadly, and he and Pumbaa turned and went back up to their room in Pride Rock.

"No-guys-wait-come back. Fuck.'' I muttered, more to myself than anyone else, as I saw Timon and Pumbaa crawl back up the rocks.

I threw myself down on the ground, ashamed and guilty. What was wrong with me? Why did I let my anger come back? Why did I allow myself to treat everyone around me like shit? What would Simba say? I sighed, releasing all the anger within me. That was no way for a king to act. I needed to set an example for my kingdom, not wallow in self-hatred. Maybe I'm not cut out for this job; too fucked up to really help anyone. I looked back and watched the sun set. It looked so beautiful.

The sky was starting to turn pink, and the last bits of yellow light were dancing on the grass. I smiled to myself. Such a pretty place, much prettier than the Outlands. I felt a cold shudder go through my body at that thought. I hated thinking about that place. It was so cold and dark and bitter and _evil_. I squinted as I saw specks of gold move through the grass. _The lionesses are back already?_ A half hour had already gone by just like that? It certainly didn't feel like that to me.

I sat there, feeling dread enter my body as the lionesses came closer and closer to me. They were going to ask questions, questions I did not feel like answering. I sighed again and waited for what was to inevitably come my way.

The lionesses reached Pride Rock, a gazelle dangling from Sarabi's mouth. They paused when they reached me, obviously surprised at me being outside by myself. The group gave me a puzzled look, but didn't say anything, walking past me as they entered the kingdom. Vitani, however, seemed worried about me.

She waited until all the other lionesses' had walked past me, then she stopped in her tracks, her paws inches from my face. I stared down at the ground, hoping that if I just ignored her, she'd go away. She didn't; she stayed. I should've known better by now.

Vitani spoke up, her raspy voice sounding even lower than usual.

"What happened?'' I turned my face from the ground and looked to the west. I didn't want to talk about this right now.

"It was nothing. I just…needed some fresh air. Been cooped up inside all day.''

I could practically _hear_ Vitani roll her eyes.

"Oh c'mon Kovu, you know I'm not an idiot. I know something happened.''

"It's not important.'' How did everybody know I was lying? Jesus, am I really that bad of a liar? I always knew I'd make a terrible criminal.

"If it's not important then why are you by yourself away from everyone else?'' Fuck. I really had to work on my lying skills.

"Kiara and I just…got into a little spat. It was really insignificant.''

"Kovu, you're seething. It was anything _but_ a small argument.''

Might as well tell her the truth now.

"Kiara's just-upset.'' I said softly. That was the blunt way of putting it.

"Was it something you did?'' Vitani asked, curious.

I immediately got defensive. I couldn't help it; it was a coping mechanism.

"Why did you think I was the one who upset her? She's the one who's angry for no reason.'' I scoffed when I realized I had just revealed the truth. Fuck me. Vitani narrowed her eyes at me.

"What do you mean?'' she asked.

"Kiara's upset because I won't let her go outside.'' I said, exhausted, standing up as I did so.

"So then why are you angry?''

"She got pissed at me. She screamed at me, told me she was hurting because she couldn't go outside. Naturally, I yelled at her.'' I felt regret come down into my body again. I had really screwed up this time.

"What did you say?''

"I told her she wasn't thinking about me, she wasn't thinking about how I was feeling.''

"Kovu, you have no right to yell at your wife like that.''

"You don't get it. She literally blamed _me_ for her pain. Who does that?'' My voice had gone back to its previously harsh tone.

Vitani , for once, seemed unable to answer my question. She stayed silent for a few seconds, trying to come up with a decent answer to my question. Finally, after what felt like a millennium, she spoke up.

"I think you should apologize.''

"I did nothing wrong!'' I growled, turning away from her. Why was everyone on her side? Why couldn't they just see things from my point of view? She almost died they said. I did too, but I don't use that as an excuse to be an asshole.

"Kovu, you did do something wrong. You lost your temper, am I right?'' Vitani asked, her tone now switching to sympathetic. I nodded at her. She knew how I could be.

"I think you were both wrong, and I think you should apologize to each other. This isn't worth getting mad about in the long run.''

"Yeah, I guess your right.'' I mumbled to myself, though Vitani shot me a look that suggested she had heard me.

"I _am_ right, little brother. Now come on, let's go eat.'' She nudged me with her paw, trying to get me to walk. It was my time to roll my eyes at her.

"I hate when you call me that.'' I teased, playfully swatting at her. Vitani laughed and tousled my mane, something she knew I hated. I ran up the stones, eager to get something to eat.

Kiara and I didn't talk at all during dinner. The only time we acknowledged each other was with a slight nod to show each other we hadn't forgotten the other existed.

The lionesses didn't seem to notice, and if they did, they didn't say anything. We ate in complete silence.

After dinner, we hung around a little bit around the campfire, talking about the different stars and constellations. I managed to keep a happy face as I chatted with my pride. Finally, it was time to go to bed. I curled up onto the cold rock that I now called my bed, letting my body adjust to its ice-like surface. Kiara settled in right next to me but didn't say anything or even look at me for that matter.

Just as I was about to doze off, Kiara's voice broke through my train of thoughts.

"I'm sorry for earlier.'' Her voice was sincere, apologetic. She really meant it. My eyes shot open. Was I hearing her correctly? Then again, it was late at night, so maybe my hearing was off.

"Oh.'' I blinked, trying to force my eyes to stay open. "Uh-okay.'' I really had no idea what to say. Accepting apologies wasn't really something I was good at. I had grown up with the intention of being a ruthless killer; accepting that animals were sorry for their mistakes was a whole new territory for me.

Kiara, thankfully, was a lot better at this than I was.

"I'm sorry for getting upset earlier I really am. I was angry. It's not your fault. You were just looking out for me. You had no control over this.'' Kiara gestured to her bruised body. I looked her over as she finished that last sentence. She looked healthier; she had gained weight, and her face looked less gaunt. The scar on her abdomen was beginning to disappear and tufts of fur were starting to grow back. She did look…better.

I spoke up, deciding to tell her how I felt.

"I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to get mad. My anger, it's something I have a hard time controlling.'' I explained, unsure of where to go from here. Kiara knew where to pick up.

"I guess that's just something you'll have to work on.'' She paused again before saying "I really am sorry Kovu. I didn't mean any of those things I said.''

"Me neither.'' I said, feeling a sense of relief fill my system as I spoke these words aloud. It felt so good to be honest, to address the situation at hand. Back home, I'd either ignore it and let it continue or I'd get my anger out by fighting. It was different here. I actually discovered a part of myself I never knew existed. I smiled at Kiara and she smiled back at me. I felt my heart warm. Maybe this being king thing could work out after all.

"I love you.'' I said quietly, so soft that I barely heard it. Kiara' s smile widened, happy at my words.

"I love you too,'' she said earnestly, reaching over and kissing me. I kissed her back.

"Goodnight,'' she said, turning her back to me.

"Goodnight,'' I responded, feeling a strange sense of excitement run through my body as I laid my head down to go to sleep. I didn't know why I was excited; I just was. It was exciting, to be able to have everything I ever wanted in my life and then some. I had an exciting feeling that I was going to be happy for the rest of my life, that my future was going to be bright. With that thought, I happily drifted into sleep, feeling good about myself. Little did I know that he would strike again.

That night, I was awoken by the sound of rustling in the grass. I rolled over, determined to block it out. _It must be some late night animals running around or something_ I thought. But who would be running around this late at night? The majority of the animals in the savanna are asleep by now. I heard the rustling again. This time it sounded like it was getting louder. Was someone outside? I shook my head, trying to will myself to go to sleep. The rustling kept getting louder and louder; it almost felt like someone was approaching the cave. I opened my eyes, feeling them sting. What was going on?

I sat up, my head feeling light. Why was the rustling getting louder? Was someone approaching the cave? My heart started beating in my chest. I mentally kicked myself in the head for this. _Stop panicking_ I thought. You have to set an example. I couldn't stop it though; the beating stated getting louder and louder, reverberating in my ears. My body began to shake. I had this horrible, sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Why on Earth did I feel like something bad was going to happen?

I nudged Kiara, hoping to wake her. She groaned and turned away from me, barely stirring in her sleep. _Come on_ I thought _I need you to wake up_ _Ki_. I put my paws on her shoulders and lightly shook her, hoping she'd wake up. Kiara groaned louder this time, and rasped out a hoarse "What?''

"You need to get up,'' I whispered, unable to hide the fear in my voice. I hated the way it sounded, but there was nothing I could do to change it. I was scared. Something was going to happen, I know it was.

"Kovu, what is it?'' Kiara moaned, clearly ignoring my fearful tone.

"I think something's coming.'' I whispered. This statement made Kiara open her eyes. She furrowed her eyebrows at me, confusion evident in her face.

"What are you talking about?'' she asked, sounding not unlike her mother.

"I think someone's approaching the cave.'' I explained, trying to keep my voice down. I didn't want to wake anyone. "Do you hear that?''

Kiara tried in vain to listen, but I could tell she was only half-listening.

"I do hear something,'' Kiara muttered.

"See? I knew I wasn't going crazy!'' I said excitedly.

"Kovu, it' s probably nothing. It's probably just an animal looking for a late night snack.''

"How can you be so sure?'' I asked, my voice cutting through the night.

Kiara sighed. She'd had enough of my bullshit. "Then go check. Come back to me and tell me what you found.''

I nodded and walked out of the cave, trying to stay as silent as possible. I headed down the rocks, making sure to step down the rocks instead of pouncing on them. I landed on the ground with a soft thud, and looked out into the night. Even as I tried my hardest, I couldn't see anything. Maybe I was sleepwalking? No, the noise was _real._ I know it was. I _just heard it._ I know someone's here.

I frantically looked around me, desperate to find evidence to my claims. That's when I heard it again. Loud, determined steps. It was hard to tell where they were coming from. Were they coming towards the cave? I turned to look back at the cave. No, no one there. Then I heard the footsteps again; it didn't sound far away this time; it sounded close. No, they weren't coming towards the cave. They were coming towards…me. I turned around just in time to see Rana pounce on me.

I let out a low grunt as we slammed onto the dirt ground. Rana snarled at me as we hit the ground, pinning me in place. I glared back at him, eyes blazing. _You want to fuck with me?_ I thought. _I'll let you have it_. I weakly raised my arm to cut him but Rana was faster, slashing my arm with one, clean swipe. Hot, searing pain soared through my veins and I roared at the top of my lungs. I could feel my mind start to go into overdrive. How many are there? Where are the others? Where's Reiko? I thought. I struggled to move underneath Rana's weight. Rana smirked at me, his eyes gleaming. He bent down so that he was ear-level with me.

"Nice try.'' He sneered, his voice deep and rich. I looked down at my bleeding arm. The cut was about three inches deep, and blood was oozing out of it. My arm began to sting. I groaned in pain, trying my best to be loud. With luck, I'd wake up someone up.

"There's no need to do that?'' A deep voice spoke out. I looked up to see Reiko coming towards me, a similar smirk plastered on his face. "We already plan on attacking your kingdom.'' I could feel my eyes widen in fear. _No_.

"You- you can't,'' I spoke up, my voice cracking. I could feel my voice cracking. "We made a deal.''

"A deal I had no intention of keeping.'' Reiko sneered. A half dozen lions and lionesses formed around him. I felt my heart sink. Reiko's smirk widened when he saw my fear.

"Kill them.'' He instructed. The lions roared and ran past me, setting off into the dens of the sleeping animals. I turned to Reiko, my body shaking.

"Don't hurt them please,'' I begged, anger and fear mixed into my voice. "There are women and children in there.''

"And why do you think that would stop me?'' Reiko sneered and ran past me.

"No!'' I screamed, writhing under Rana, hoping to throw him off me. I could feel my heart pounding in my head as Reiko climbed up the steps, eager to get his kill. I continued to writhe underneath Rana, my arm stinging as I accidently brushed against the rocky ground. I huffed a breath. I have to get out of here I thought I have to warn the others. Suddenly I heard a loud, ear-piercing roar and I looked up to see Coe, one of the lionesses', tumble off the rocky cliff and come barreling towards the ground. She smacked face first into the ground, and didn't move. I gasped.

Oh my God, was she dead? My heart rate began to pick up and my breath hitched. _I have to get to Kiara_ I thought _._ Rana laughed as I struggled underneath him and peered down at me, sneering.

"Still think you can fight me?'' he sneered, laughing to himself. Try me I thought. I reached over and bit him on his nose. Rana howled in pain as I did this; he was clearly caught off-guard. He swiped at my face, hoping to get me off him but I refused. I clamped down hard on his nose, hard enough to draw blood. Rana kept swiping at my face, his claws cutting deep into my face, but I refused to let go. I reached over and put my paw underneath his belly. Before he had time to react, Rana was flying through the air, smacking headfirst into the dirt. Rana rolled over, doubled over in pain. He snarled and turned to face me, but I struck his face, making sure my claws tore into his eyes.

Rana screamed louder this time, unable to bear the pain. I retreated from him, trying to draw as much space between us as possible. He ran towards me, but I was prepared this time. I jumped out of the way when he leaped at me, and Rana smacked into the dirt, groaning as dirt got in his eyes. I gave him a swift kick and he fell down, unconscious.

I heard another high-pitched roar and I knew Kiara was in trouble. I turned towards Pride Rock. It was time to face my demons.

I ran as fast as I could, feeling my heart race with every step I took. I had to get there on time. Kiara was going to die! I had to save her this time. I leaped over rocks and jumped over pillars, dodging falling bodies. I barely glanced at the bodies that fell to the ground; I was too focused on Kiara. I could feel all my adrenaline rush through my body, trying to push myself further than before. I could feel my head begin to spin, and I felt light-headed. _Fuck_ , I thought _It must be the cut._

I powered through it, refusing to give up this time. Keep on fighting Kovu I told myself as I ran. Keep on fighting. I made my way into the den and felt my heart drop. There was Kiara, backing herself up into a corner. And there was Reiko, right in front of her, sneering at her.

"Scared princess?'' he drawled, reminding me of Scar. I couldn't see his expression from where I was at, but I could feel his eyes crinkling in delight. I felt the urge to growl at him, to tell him to fuck off, to tell him to leave her alone. But I didn't; I stopped myself. I didn't want him to know I was here. If he did, he'd most likely find a way to counteract my attack. I had to be smart about this; I couldn't give myself away. _Never give your enemy the upper hand_ Mom had said. _Always try to counteract their attacks._ For once her advice had actually turned out to be useful. I managed to get my breathing under control, and started taking small, cautious steps towards my enemy. _Don't give yourself away_ I thought. _Come on Kovu, be smart about this._

Kiara glared back at Reiko, trying to be brave, but I could tell she was scared. Her eyes were watery; she always had that look when she was scared. Kiara jumped when her back made contact with the wall right beside her; she hadn't been expecting it. Reiko threw his head back and laughed.

"Look at you, you're scared. Some queen of the Pridelands you are.'' He sneered. He began to laugh again. I took my chance. It was now or never. I leaped into the air, kicking off with my feet and soaring through the cave. I slashed Reiko's back as I fell to the ground, hearing a nice splitting noise hum in my ears. Reiko shrieked in pain, and doubled over, giving Kiara enough space so that I could jump in front of her.

I heard Kiara gasp. "Kovu?'' she asked, fear in her voice.

"Stay back,'' I warned, not looking back at her. I couldn't look back at her; I had to focus on Reiko. Reiko looked back at me, his eyes blazing.

"Don't you ever touch me again,'' Reiko growled, venom dripping from his mouth.

"You touch my wife, and we'll have a problem,'' I shot back, feeling my body beginning to shake with rage.

Reiko and I stared each other down, each unwilling to back down. I could feel myself getting angrier by the second. I wasn't going to let Kiara out of my sight again. She'd already gotten hurt before; I couldn't risk her getting hurt again. Reiko stepped forward and I growled at him. Reiko hesitated, caught off guard by my aggressive nature. His glare intensified but I wasn't backing down. If Reiko wanted Kiara, he was going to have to kill me. Just then I heard a high shriek echo through the caves, and I heard someone scream "Sarabi!'' I quickly broke my concentration and stared out the cave, hoping to find Sarabi.

I don't know why I did it; I was so stupid. Just as I went to see if Sarabi was there, Reiko attacked. He slashed me across my face, and I heard Kiara scream. I winced as I felt searing pain travel from my cheek all the way to my eye. I shook my head, trying to clear the pain. I grunted as I felt something solid make contact with my chest and I slammed into the rock behind me. I heard another scream, this one so close to me I knew it was Kiara. Using all the strength I had, I stood up and ran toward Reiko. I lunged at him, but he jumped out of the way, and I slammed into the ground, hard. I got up and I dug my claws deep into Reiko's back.

A loud scream echoed through the cave, and Reiko kicked me in the chest. I fell down, my chest aching. The distraction gave Kiara enough time to clamp down on his throat. Reiko screamed again, louder this time. My head was pounding and my chest felt as if it was going to collapse in on itself. Out if the corner of my eye, I saw Reiko smack Kiara across the face; he hit her so hard she smacked straight into the rock behind her, knocking her unconscious. I groaned as I heard Reiko walk towards me. I could hear him growling in anger; he was clearly pissed.

"You!'' He screamed. He growled a second time and launched himself at me, knocking me to the ground again. Reiko stared back at me, his blue eyes gleaming in the moonlight. He smiled evilly at me, and I could feel my heart begin to race. _What is he going to do with me?_ I thought

Reiko looked me over, clearly appreciating the position he had me. After a few seconds of examining me, Reiko spoke up.

"Such a handsome face. Too bad it's been destroyed by all those scars.'' He sneered. I growled back at him, my body beginning to shake again.

"It's such a shame that I have to kill you. I was almost starting to like you. Your wife, on the other hand-,'' he droned off, looking back at Kiara' s unconscious form "I think I'll keep her.''

My body was truly spasming now. Kiara was not his to take ; she was mine. That was _my_ wife he was talking about, not his.

"I think she'll make an excellent wife, don't you think? After I kill you I'll keep her all to myself, and I'll make her my own personal slave.''

I growled at him again, and kicked Reiko's stomach, sending him flying through the air. He hit the ground with a solid thud, rolling over once and not saying anything more. I heard another scream, and I darted out of the cave, desperate to see who needed my help. I spotted Vitani engaged in battle with another lioness. The lioness swiped at her chest, but Vitani jumped back, crawling backwards toward a rock. I roared and ran toward the two, eager to protect my sister.

The two were on the edge of a rock, and I jumped onto the platform, landing right next to Vitani. "Get away from her,'' I warned, baring my teeth at the lioness. She scoffed at me, clearly unimpressed.

"Is that the best you've got?'' She sneered at me, her eyes gleaming with mockery.

I jumped at her, knocking her off the ledge and sending both of us tumbling down Pride Rock. I couldn't help myself. At that moment, I was so angry, so upset. I had been attacked when I had least expected it, my wife had nearly been killed, and I was failing as a leader. All in all, I was pissed. When she made that comment, I wanted to tear that bitch's throat out.

"No! Kovu!'' I heard Vitani scream as I felt myself fall down towards the ground, faster than I could've imagined. My head was spinning, and I gasped as I got closer and closer towards the ground. Luckily, I didn't hit it. I slammed into a nearby rock, feeling the literal wind get knocked out of my body. I tried to gasp, but my lungs wouldn't let air in. I felt my chest constrict; it hurt so badly I thought I was going to die. I heard someone scream my name, but I wasn't able to decipher what they were saying. It felt like they were a million miles away, screaming off into the distance. I tried to lift my head, but I felt like a rock was pressing me down, keeping me down. I groaned and rested my head on the rock, accepting defeat. If I was going to die, this would be it. Suddenly I felt someone tug at my fur. My eyes darted to see who it was, but my vision was blurry. I couldn't see who it was. The animal reached over-whoever it was- and began to drag me away. I felt my headache begin again, and I felt fear spike my blood.

"No!'' I gasped, my voice sounding foreign even to me. "Don't touch me. Please don't.''

The animal didn't listen and began to drag me away.

"No! " I screamed, my whole world starting to fade to black. "No!''

I woke up later, my heart pounding. I sat up, my eyes scanning the room around me. Why was it so dark? Where was I?

I continued to look around, hoping to find someone I recognized.

Finally, my vision started to come back. I groaned; my head felt like it was on fire. What was going on? I heard someone's voice in the distance cut threw my thoughts.

"Kovu! Are you alright?'' I gasped, and turned around to face the voice but as soon as I turned I felt a sharp pain shoot through my chest and I gasped. My vision cleared and I soon saw myself standing face to face with Kiara, her kind eyes boring into me like she was trying to see my soul.

"Kiara?'' I gasped. She nodded at me, a smile breaking out over her face.

"You-you're alive?'' I gasped, my voice breaking. She nodded at me, her grin widening. I reached over and hugged her, feeling relief settle in my stomach.

"Yeah,'' Kiara said, her voice echoing in my head "I'm alive.''

"Where's Reiko?'' I asked. I had to find that fucker. He tried to kill my wife not just once but twice. There was going to be hell to pay. I tried to stand up, but I felt a searing pain in my left leg, and sat right back down.

"You shouldn't move right now. You had a pretty nasty fall. '' I heard a familiar voice crawl its way up my spine and I gasped, turning to find Rafiki and Vitani looking at me. I felt my heartbeat slow down as I began to recognize them; where had they come from?

Rafiki was wearing his usual stoic face and Vitani looked concerned for me. I tried to brush off her look. _I'm fine_ I told myself _I'll be back in good condition in no time._ I told myself to not let Vitani's concern for me get to me but it did. It tore my heart out. Vitani spoke up:

"I thought you were dead, Kovu. You weren't moving. I thought you had broken every bone in your body and you'd be paralyzed for life.'' Her words cut into me, much deeper than Reiko or Rana's claws ever could. I felt as if she was tearing a piece of my soul out, cutting out my heroic act and my selflessness and replacing it with shame and guilt. I felt sad and desperate, desperate to get away from this pain that had started ebbing inside of me like a faucet. I didn't want to feel guilty; I wanted to take my selflessness and my heroic act and put it back inside of me. I wanted it back. Vitani's words were too real for me, too harsh.

"I-I'm sorry,'' I apologized, my voice cracking. I didn't know what else to say; I didn't know how else I could say to apologize for this major fuck-up. Vitani stopped speaking and looked at me sympathetically. Great. Now she feels bad for me. I felt myself sigh as Vitani turned to Rafiki, waiting for him.

"Unfortunately, Reiko got away,'' Rafiki explained. "And unfortunately for us, one of our own died. Coe.'' I felt my heart sink at those words. No. I felt like a failure. I couldn't even lead a kingdom; I couldn't even lead one animal. Someone got killed, _under my watch._ I started shaking and I could feel tears roll down. No. It was like a nightmare; it kept getting worse and worse. First the love of my life gets attacked and now someone dies. I could feel myself start to hyperventilate. _No_ I thought _Stop crying_. I tried to hold back the tears but they kept falling. I couldn't help myself; I was so sad. Kiara tried to comfort me but I pushed her away. I had to be alone.

I ran out of the cave as fast as I can, but I slipped and ended up crashing into the rock. I cried out in pain, my head pounding and my heart reverberating in my head. I had failed. I laid my head down and went to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

I walked to Rafiki's tree while everyone was at lunch. I knew lunch would give me an ample amount of time to visit Kiara and come back. I knew everyone would be gleefully distracted. I looked up at it, wondering where he was at. He was here all the time. Where could he be?

Suddenly I heard a voice say "Are you looking for me?'' I jumped. I had not been expecting that. I turned around to face him. How did he know I was looking for him? Then again, Rafiki seemed to know everything. I wouldn't be surprised if he knew when the world was going to end.

"I'm looking for Kiara,'' I explained. Rafiki nodded his head in understanding. "I see,'' he said. "Come with me sir.'' I followed him out of his own little secluded area in the savanna and back to Pride Rock. The two of us stepped into one of the backend caves of Pride Rock. I was shocked to learn there was a cave behind the main palace. I had no idea this place even existed. I peered inside the dark cave and I saw a heap of gold shining in the dark. I felt my heart flutter. Kiara.

I walked over to her, my heart pounding loudly and reverberating in my ears. Kiara stirred in her sleep as I approached. I paused, not wanting to wake her up. I carefully saddled over to her, making sure my paws didn't scratch the ground and my tail didn't drag.

I stared down at her. She looked strangely beautiful with the red scars and slashes painting her face; her eyes closed off to the world, her head lying on the cool ground. I scanned her body with my eyes; she looked better. Rafiki must have healed most of her wounds. I thought about my deal with Reiko. Stay out of the Pridelands. Right. Simple enough.

I heard Kiara release a shaky breath and I looked down to see her open her eyes. She blinked a couple of times, trying to wake up. She peered up at me; she seemed to be confused. Finally she spoke up. "Kovu? What are you doing here?'' "I came to see you,'' I explained. "Where's everyone else?'' Kiara asked. "They're at lunch.'' I said. "At lunch? Oh Kovu,'' Kiara scolded "That's not ok. You need to eat.'' "I'll eat later,'' I said. "Right now I just wanted to see you.''

Kiara sighed and smiled at me. I smiled back. She looked so happy to see me. I dropped my smile and my expression changed from one of joy to complete seriousness. "How are you doing?'' I asked. "I'm doing alright,'' she said. Rafiki's really helped me out.''

"That's great.'' I marveled. "Yeah. He said I'm going to make a full recovery.'' Kiara paused before continuing. "You were gone for a day,'' she said, a worried look in her eye. "Where did you go?'' "It doesn't matter. We came to a resolution'' "Well, what was it?'' she asked. "It doesn't matter. We won't be seeing them again.'' Kiara stopped speaking for a few seconds. She seemed to be struggling to comprehend what I was saying. After several seconds, she responded. "Oh ok,'' she said, uncertain at what I meant.

"Right now,'' I breathed. "I just need it to be you and me.'' I put my forehead against hers. I enjoyed having her close to me. I missed the feel of her fur against mine. I missed being able to look into her deep ruby eyes and seeing them shine. I missed smelling her sweet, familiar, wholesome scent.

I heard Rafiki's deep voice break through the silence. "I hate to interrupt but lunch is over.'' I sighed. "Already?'' I mumbled, more to myself than anyone else. Kiara smiled back. "I'll see you later,'' she said sweetly. I smiled back. "See you,'' I said. With a small smile, I headed out of the cave and back to the main palace.


	6. Chapter 6

I woke up at what must have been hours later, feeling exhausted. I felt my body give out as I crashed into the ground. I winced as I felt a searing pain shoot up into my legs. Hot tears spilled from my eyes onto the ground. I was vaguely aware of the footsteps running toward me.

"Kovu!'' I heard Kiara shout as she got closer. "Are you ok?''

My body began to shake uncontrollably. I let out a whimper I hadn't even been aware I'd been holding. I stared down in the ground in shame, feeling my throat swell up.

I had failed. I had completely and utterly failed. I didn't even think I could fuck up this badly. I tried to speak but my throat hurt too much and my voice croaked whenever I tried to say anything. I heard Kiara's voice in the background: "Do you want me to get you something?''

I gathered my composure for a second, feeling dread settle into my stomach. With an empty heart I said "No.'' I immediately broke down. I just wanted to be left alone. I had to get away, be by myself for a little while.

"Please go away,'' I begged, my voice cracking.

"But Kovu-,'' Kiara began

"Please,'' I interrupted, being unable to hide the pain in my voice. I could feel Kiara's eyes bore into the back of my head. I continued crying, refusing to look up from the ground. I eventually felt her gaze leave me, and I found myself all alone. I closed my eyes, trying to will myself to go back to sleep.

I couldn't. Every time I closed my eyes I kept thinking of Coe, thinking about her as I watched her fall to her death. I woke up to an aching heart and stinging eyes. I looked around me, secretly hoping that someone would be there. My heart fell. There was no one. My eyes continued to sting as I sat there, refusing to move.

I had one job to do, one fucking job, and I couldn't even fucking do it. I was a horrible leader; maybe I'd be better off dead. I felt my heart constrict as my thoughts raced. I told Simba I'd protect the pride while he was gone and I couldn't do it. We had been ambushed in the middle of the night and one of our own was dead. That sounded like an epic failure to me. I shook my head in disbelief, letting the tears sting my eyes.

Why did it feel like I was always fucking up? Why couldn't I do anything right? I couldn't even get the zebras to follow my directions, and they were the easiest species to deal with. It looks like Simba made a huge mistake before he died. I could feel my rage building up inside; I needed to hit something. I was literally seeing red.

I saw the cave wall right next to me. I ran over to it and ran my nails against it. I screeched in pain as my nails cut into the wall. I felt pain enter my paws at an alarming rate and I threw myself back onto the ground with a grunt.

I winced as I retracted my claws. Fuck that hurt. I laid on the ground, groaning in pain. I couldn't convince myself to get up; I felt like I had to punish myself for what I'd done, for being so stupid. I hated myself more than I ever had in my whole life. I felt guilt crawl its way up through my spine, past my ribcage, and all the way to my lungs, where it proceeded to crush them.

I tried to breathe but I found myself unable to get air through my lungs. Whether it was because of the tears or because of the wound in my side, I didn't know but I didn't care. All I knew was that it hurt-really hurt- and I felt myself let out a shaky breath.

"Ow,'' I whimpered, as I felt my chest tighten as I breathed. I stared at the wall, trying to find a distraction for myself. If I didn't think about the pain maybe it would go away. Maybe it would die like Coe did, quick and painless. If I just didn't think about it, and thought about something else-anything else-maybe I'd be alright. Maybe I wouldn't be a total piece of shit after all.

This wasn't a temporary state I was in; I knew I wouldn't be better in a day or two. Instead, I ended up lying there for a whole week, horribly depressed. I refused to eat; I refused to drink. I couldn't sleep; every time I closed my eyes I couldn't help but picture Coe's lifeless body crashing into the ground. I didn't have the energy to go work out; I didn't even have the energy to get up.

It all felt so meaningless, so pointless. What was the point in being a king if I couldn't lead? I should just abdicate the throne, give it to Kiara or something; she was much more clearheaded than me. I was too emotional, too fragile, too weak. I wasn't cut out to be king and Simba should've never put that pressure on my shoulders before he died.

The rest of the days moved by slowly; a week felt like a month. I stayed in the cave so much I was convinced I'd either go crazy or die of starvation. Finally, after a century of drowning in my own self-pitying thoughts, I heard someone say my name.

"Kovu?'' It was a raspy voice, but the person who had said my name said it quietly, like they were afraid of disturbing me. They said it as if they were approaching a wild animal that was about to strike (which in this case I might just do).

I inched my head and turned to see Vitani staring back at me, her eyes filled with pity and fear. I looked back at her, a cold, dead look in my eyes. I didn't know what to say; should I tell her to leave? There was a part of me that wanted to but there was also a part of me that wanted her to stay. I had felt so alone this past week; I needed someone to talk to.

"What?'' I asked, my voice hoarse from lack of use. What did she want to say? She couldn't say anything that would make me feel better, no matter how much she tried. How could she get me out of this funk I was in? She couldn't just put her paws together and hope I snap out of it. Depression doesn't work like that. Vitani looked like she wanted to say something, but didn't know what to say. Saddened by this hard truth, I turned back to staring at the wall. I was content with staying in here for the rest of my life if I had to.

Vitani spoke up again

"Kovu, just go outside,'' she begged. "You need to get out. You've been held up here for a week already.''

"I don't want to,'' I said, my voice cracking. I didn't want to do anything. Nothing could make me happy again. There was no fixing this.

"Kovu, please, if you just take a walk outside-''

"I _can't_ take a walk outside,'' I said, trying to explain my situation to her. She didn't get it; she didn't understand. She didn't understand how nothing interested me anymore; not tag, not hunting, not even Kiara. Nothing could bring me back to who I was before Coe's death.

"Kovu, please, stop being such a pessimist. Just go outside and take a little walk. I guarantee you you'll feel better.''

"I _can't_ go _outside_ ,'' I repeated, my voice filled with agony.

"Why can't you go outside?'' Vitani asked, confused. I groaned, my head throbbing, eyes blazing. I turned to her, feeing my heart pump blood at a million miles an hour.

"I can't do it,'' I explained through gritted teeth. " _Nothing_ makes me happy anymore. I can't just go outside and come back and feel great about myself. This is not something I can just kick to the curb. It's a part of me. I can't defeat it. I don't have the _energy_ to go outside. Nothing interests me anymore; everything's so boring. So when I tell you I can't go outside, I actually _can't_ go outside.'' I spit that last word out with enough venom as I could muster. I saw Vitani's face turn from one of confusion to shock right away. She gasped in horror, then broke down crying.

I could feel the guilt start to creep its way back into me. Great. Now I've made her cry.

"I'm sorry Kovu,'' Vitani sobbed, and ran off. The sound of her whimpering rung in my ears like a bell.

"Yeah, yeah, I am too,'' I muttered, feeling empty again, and I threw myself back onto the ground.

I sat there as the day went by, waiting for it to end. I hadn't noticed how alone I was until now; I actually missed being around people. I missed hearing Sarabi's voice; I missed hearing Timon and Pumbaa's laughter; I missed Kiara's soft voice and her glowing red eyes. I missed the way she smelled, the way she would curl up next to me.

I heard footstep echo in the cave. Before I had a chance to process who it was, I heard a voice call my name: "Hello Kovu.''

I gasped and spun around as quickly as I could; I know that voice anywhere. It was Kiara. When I met her gaze, however, she did not look like herself. She had this solemn, sad expression, like she thought I'd fall apart just by looking at her. I felt my heart break at that thought.

No. I was not _weak._ I am still the same lion she married. I am a leader, not a whiner. I am a fighter, not a weakling. I wanted to be that same lion she saw when she first fell in love with me. I just didn't know how to become that lion again. Kiara's voice broke through my thoughts, her tone clear and concise.

"I think you need to go outside, Kovu,'' Kiara said, speaking in a tone that said there was no room for argument. I sighed. This again. There was no way in hell she could get me to go outside; I wanted to, but I couldn't do it. I was too sad, too depressed to get up and move around. All I wanted to do was sit around and feel sorry for myself. Kiara, bless her heart, knew I couldn't do that.

"Come on Kovu, I'm taking you outside,'' Kiara informed me.

"I don't have enough energy,'' I moaned, wanting to be left alone. Why couldn't everyone just allow me to sit here and wallow in my own pity for as long as I needed to? Why did everyone want me to go outside?

Suddenly, without my permission, Kiara took me by the ear and began to drag me outside.

"Agh! Stop!'' I groaned. I pulled myself out of Kiara's grip, and stared her straight in the face.

"Come on, Kovu, just take a little walk around the kingdom with me,'' Kiara begged. "I know you want to get out.'' I sighed. She was right; I did. I was dying to go outside, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Kiara knew she could bring me out though. She knew I couldn't resist her charm.

"Come on,'' she said, gesturing with her head to indicate I should go outside, ''let's go out.''

I nodded. Ok I thought Just one time and then I can come back. Following her lead, I walked out of the cave, and into the sunlight. As soon as the sunlight hit my fur, I breathed a sigh of relief. I felt like I could breathe again. I looked around the cave. All of Pride Rock was bathed in sunlight. I felt a small smile creep up on my face. I felt my heart skip a beat. I was out of the cave; I was out of my self-pitying stage. I looked over at Kiara and smiled. She smiled back at me, her eyes beaming.

"Welcome back, Kovu.''


	7. Chapter 7

The day after, I returned to my duties. It felt so strange to be back in power, to be back in my place. I had gotten so used to being by myself that it actually felt strange to be around other people. It took a few days to adjust to, naturally. I had to learn how to get back into the rhythm and flow of running a kingdom. I had gone from spending my days moping around on a cold cave floor to interacting with all different kinds of animals.

I felt a little more alive each time I went outside. I felt like I was getting a part of me back, a missing piece that I had lost for about a week or so. What that piece was, though, I didn't know. Maybe it was happiness; maybe it was socializing with others. Whatever it was, it had come back into my life and gave me a renewed sense of purpose.

One day, I had just finished talking to the zebras when I looked over to find Timon and Pumbaa staring at me. I stared back, furrowing my eyebrows at them. What were they staring at me for? Timon and Pumbaa quickly noticed that I was staring at them, and tried to hide in the grass. I snickered. They really thought they were being clever? Dear Lord.

I sighed, and decided to call them out anyway, just to see how they would react. With a gleam in my eye, I said "Timon, Pumbaa, you guys can come out.'' Slowly, Timon and Pumbaa sat up from where they were crouching, looked around to see if anyone was watching them, and began walking towards me.

I stood there, waiting for them to explain themselves. Timon and Pumbaa looked thoroughly embarrassed as they approached me. I stood there, trying not to smile. They both looked down at the ground upon meeting me, refusing to look up.

"Timon, Pumbaa. What were you guys doing over there?'' I said, putting on a façade. Naturally Pumbaa spoke up first, being the one to break.

"We weren't spying on you. We promise.'' Pumbaa said hurriedly, acting as if someone might hear us (which, in these lands, wasn't very hard). Timon rolled his eyes.

"Nice going, Pumbaa,'' he grumbled.

"So you're not going to answer my question,'' I drawled.

Timon stuttered a bit, trying to get something out but he didn't seem to know what to say. I stared at him, one eyebrow raised, amused.

"We- we just wanted to see if you were ok, buddy,'' Timon explained, speaking at a million miles a minute. I blinked, trying to process all of it.

"Guys, I'm fine, really,'' I said, sincerity in my tone. For the first time in a long time, I had said that line and had actually meant it. Timon and Pumbaa blinked in surprise, as if actually expecting me to tell them I wasn't feeling fine.

Timon looked like he wanted to say something that would contradict me, that would hopefully catch me red handed, but instead he said "Oh. Well, good for you.''

"Yeah,'' I said warily, nodding awkwardly at them. Why were they acting so weird? I mean, weirder than usual? Timon looked like he had more to say, but was refusing to say it. I sat there, waiting for a response. Finally, after what felt like an hour-long staring contest, I decided to break the silence.

"Do you have something else you would like to say?'' I asked, genuinely curious. Knowing Timon and Pumbaa, they had more than a few things to say than just "how ya doing?''

Timon and Pumbaa made eye contact with each other, and Pumbaa spoke up this time. What he said next actually blew my mind.

"Listen Kovu, we know what happened with Reiko, and…we wanna help.'' I furrowed my eyebrows. How were Timon and Pumbaa going to help me? They weren't exactly the best when it came to advice.

"Help me? How?'' I asked, a playful lilt in my voice. It would be interesting to see what they had come up with.

"We want to help you fight,'' Pumbaa explained, his tone wrecked with fear.

"And you're going to help me how?'' I asked, now officially teasing them. Timon and Pumbaa stiffened, clearly unnerved by the question.

"We want to help get you in shape,'' Timon explained. "So if that guy ever comes back, you can defend yourself.''

My good mood was immediately killed by this reminder. Great. Up until that point, I hadn't even been thinking about Reiko. Thinking about him again brought fear and anger. I remember losing. I remember feeling like a failure. I remember my anguish, my agony. Now that Timon and Pumbaa had brought him up, I couldn't stop thinking about him.

"How exactly are you going to help me get in shape?'' I said, looking straight at Timon. This was his brilliant idea. Now he had to answer to it. Timon gave me a wide, bright smile.

"We'll run with you,'' he said, trying to sound cheerful about it. I had to bit my lip to keep from bursting into laughter. Timon and Pumbaa were _horrifically_ out of shape; they couldn't even run a mile. Plus, my leg was still fucked up. This was going to kill them (and me).

I sighed and looked down at Timon and Pumbaa, who looked anxious for my response.

"When do we start?'' I said, trying to keep a light tone so that I didn't feel the mix of anxiety and dread curling in my stomach.

"Tomorrow at dawn,'' Timon said, his façade breaking. From the looks of it, he didn't want to do this either.

"See you there,'' I drawled, smirking at them and walking off.

"See ya,'' Timon and Pumbaa said in unison, walking back to the palace.


	8. Chapter 8

My runs with Timon and Pumbaa, to simply put it, were hell. They were nowhere near fun. Not only could I not run straight because I was doing this weird limp thing every two seconds, but Timon and Pumbaa couldn't even catch up with me. They were so bad; they fell behind me in every single run and I always had to wait for them to "catch up'' because they were afraid I'd get hurt if I wasn't with them. That was funny considering I was both bigger and stronger than them.

I appreciate their sincerity and kindness behind their effort, I really do, but dear God, they just slowed me down. I always ended up leaving them behind with their pants and their cries of "Kovu, wait!'' It was actually kind of comical. It looked like something out of a cartoon, seeing them there all wrung out like that.

The worst part was the runs weren't even helping me. I couldn't even run a mile with my damaged leg and every time the run ended, instead of feeling good about myself, I felt tired and lethargic. One day, after one of the horrible runs, I decided to break the (not so) bad news to them.

"I think we should just stop now.'' I huffed, trying to control my breathing. My muscles ached and my throat felt as if it was closing. I was done. These runs weren't helping me. Timon and Pumbaa weren't helping me.

"What?'' Timon said, turning around to face me. "What are you talking about?''

I sighed. I really didn't want to break this to Timon, especially because he was so sensitive when it came to how I really felt about his ideas, but someone had to break it to him.

"Look,'' I said gently, "I appreciate your help guys. I really do. But at the same time, I don't think this is working. I'm not getting better. I'm no better now than I was when I fought Reiko a few months ago. Please, just let this go. ''

Timon and Pumbaa looked crestfallen. Pumbaa's mouth was hanging wide open, his eyes practically bulged out of his head. Timon's face was one of shock and hurt. His mouth fell into a sad frown and his ears dropped. I know they just wanted to help, but this wasn't working. Pumbaa surprised me with his response.

"Oh. Well, if you want us to go, we'll go.'' Pumbaa said, making no effort to conceal his sadness. I immediately felt a metaphorical swift kick to the gut; I had not expected this to be Pumbaa's reaction. I was expecting for Pumbaa, being the lovable weirdo that he is, to burst into tears and start begging me to reconsider my decision. Pumbaa, however, seemed content to give me what I wanted. Naturally Timon was not.

"What? Oh come on buddy, we're just getting started. I know you feel down right now because of your injury but I can reassure you you'll start feeling better soon enough. You just have to believe in yourself.''

I bit my lip. Timon really didn't know what to say right now, and, quite frankly, neither did I. I didn't mean to hurt his feelings or anything; really I didn't. It's just…I just didn't think this was working.

"I'll tell you what,'' Timon drawled, his words causing me to jump. I had not been expecting him to speak. I was too lost in my own thoughts to remember that he was still here. "We'll run one last time, and, if you don't feel any better, we can quit. Ok?

"I don't know Timon,'' I began but he cut me off. "Come on,'' he said, gesturing towards the plains with his hands. "Let's get goin'.'' I sighed again. Ok fine. I'll do it just one last time, just to please Timon. I smirked. I couldn't wait to kick their asses.

"Ok,'' Timon said, "on the count of three, one, two, three!'' I took off as soon as Timon said three. I could feel my adrenaline race as I quickly outran Timon and Pumbaa. Their wheezing rang in my ears as I ran forward. Pain shot up through my right leg but I ignored it, wanting to win the contest. I looked ahead as I passed plains and trees on my way to success. I was going to win this race, no matter what. Timon and Pumbaa were screaming my name, begging me to stop but I wasn't having it. I was going to win.

I could feel my body begin to weaken as I ran faster. Come on I thought picking up the speed. Let's win. Finally, I made it to the other side of the plain. I stood there, breathing heavily, trying to catch my breath. Fuck that was hard. I turned to Timon and Pumbaa, who, as usual, were trying not to die. They both groaned in pain, completely beat from exhaustion. I laughed a little bit. I was the one who was hurt but they were the ones who were struggling to run? Now _that_ was funny.

Just then I heard a voice break through the silence. "Kovu? Are you feeling better?''

I spun around to find Kiara staring at me, her red eyes gleaming with amusement, I smiled at her, feeling my heart begin to pound out of its chest. It was always great to see her, especially when I was having a bad day, but right now, I was happy. Sure yeah, Reiko was probably coming back, but I didn't want to think about him right now. I wanted to live in the moment, which is something I rarely do.

I smiled at Kiara. "Hey,'' I said, sucking in a breath as I did so. She beamed at me, her eyes sparkling.

"Well, I see your having fun,'' she said, her smile widening as she said the last word. She paused before turning to Timon and Pumbaa.

"And what are you two doing?'' She asked, teasing them. Timon and Pumbaa gave her a look that said "Really?''

"We were trying not to die,'' Timon drawled, his voice getting higher and higher with each word.

"We weren't doing so well,'' Pumbaa added.

Kiara and I laughed and shook our heads. Timon and Pumbaa were too funny.

"What? It's true,'' Pumbaa urged.

"Pumbaa, it's fine. I'm fucking with you.'' I said, and managed to stop laughing. I turned to Kiara, serious this time.

"Does someone want to talk to me?'' I asked, giving away my worried tone. Kiara nodded. Who would want to talk to me and what was it about? Was it Vitani? Were the giraffes fighting again? Who could possibly want to see me?

"They want to see you right now,'' Kiara informed me.

"Ok but who are they?'' I asked, curious.

"I can't tell you. It's a surprise.'' Kiara said, her tone neutral.

I stared at her. She couldn't tell me who it was? Who was it, Reiko? Why did this person feel the need to hide their identity from me?

"You can't tell me?'' I asked, my tone questioning.

"No,'' Kiara said truthfully. I nodded solemnly at her and turned to Timon and Pumbaa.

"I'll be back. We'll…talk about this later.''

Kiara gave me a small smile and I smiled back at her before I headed off to go meet this mystery person.

As I headed back to Pride Rock, my mind began racing. Why couldn't Kiara tell me who it was? She could tell me anything, really. She was so open about all of her feelings, much more than I am.

I shook my head and continued my walk, feeling the hot sun beat down my back. I felt the dirt crunch underneath my claws as I headed down the mountain, feeling my stomach become a little uneasy. I was nervous, which was strange because I never get nervous. I'm usually pretty confident in whatever I'm doing. I was taught confidence from a young age: that, and arrogance. I sighed as I took in this new feeling and trudged on with my quest.

On my way back, I passed the elephants by the water hole, the giraffes herding their young, and the birds feeding their children. None of them saw me, and if they did, they just pretended I wasn't there. It was fine, really; I knew when I was wanted and when I wasn't. I was raised as an Outsider, for Mufasa's sake. It didn't bother me.

I felt my stomach tighten as I stepped into Pride Rock. Here I go I thought Here's the big reveal. I climbed over rocks as I held my breath, waiting with anxiety for who I was about to meet. I could feel my stomach tighten even more as I got higher and higher. I could feel my head starting to spin as I climbed.

Why did it feel so hot all of a sudden? It was either that, or the heat was just starting to become noticeable to me. I powered through it, trying to get to my destination. Finally, after what felt like hours (even though in reality it was probably only minutes) I made it to the top of Pride Rock. I looked ahead of me, and I found myself staring into the black abyss of my own cave.

I heard a scuffling noise to my left, and I looked up to find a figure on the very top of my cave. I hurried to the top, eager to see who was waiting for me. As soon as I got to the top, I couldn't help but feel confused at seeing who it was. It wasn't Reiko. It was Sarabi.

"Sarabi?'' I asked, taken aback. "What did you want to talk to me about?''

"I wanted to talk to you about Coe's death.'' She said, straightforward and to the point.

I immediately felt as if I had just been punched to the gut. Fuck. I wasn't ready to about that; I wasn't ready to take responsibility for my part in Core's death. I turned away, feeling tears prick my eyes. No. It was all my fault.

"What are you crying about Kovu?'' Sarabi asked gently, confusion in her tone. She didn't know? How could she not have known what I had done? The whole kingdom knew. I struggled to get out a response.

"I-I-I killed Coe.'' I admitted, shame returning to my body. It pinned my shoulders down; it caused bile to rise up in my throat. I tried to swallow it down but it was stuck there. I felt my previously energetic spirit die as I was faced with reality. I wanted to move but I couldn't. I was stuck. Stuck under an enormous pang of guilt. I barely heard Sarabi's voice as she spoke to me

"Kovu, you didn't murder her. It wasn't your fault; you couldn't stop Reiko. He had you overpowered.''

"That's exactly why it is my fault.'' I said, tears streaming down my face, my throat tight. "I couldn't stop him. I couldn't save her. How am I supp-poss-supposed to be a le-le-leader when I can't save anyone?'' I choked on the last word. I couldn't save anyone. Not a single soul. I wasn't worthy of the title of king.

I saw Sarabi shake her head in disagreement as I broke down. I heard her heave a sigh, of agony, or of reverence, I don't know.

"Look Kovu,'' she began, "sometimes things just happen and you can't control them. You couldn't stop him Kovu. It is not _your_ fault. ''

"Things don't just happen,'' I spat, trying to sound angry but breaking down as soon as the sentence left my mouth. I couldn't help it; it just happened. I'd been carrying this pain for too long. I couldn't stop it; it just kept flowing out of me.

Sarabi didn't say anything as I cried; she just let me stand there, pouring my eyes out. I whimpered as I felt the physical stress that was holding my body captive exit my veins. I tried to blink the tears away but I couldn't see anything. I heard Sarabi clear her throat but I couldn't hear what she was saying. I decided to speak up. We were getting so personal here, I might as well tell her how I feel about myself.

"Have you ever hated yourself?'' I asked, feeling my self-hatred kick in. Sarabi stopped speaking.

"What?'' she asked quietly, confused.

"Have you ever hated yourself?'' I repeated. Sarabi looked shocked at the question.

"No but I've made some really poor choices-'' She started but I cut her off.

"Because I do,'' I said, my body beginning to tremble. "I hate myself so much.''

"Why Kovu,'' Sarabi asked, her tone still gentle "why do you hate yourself so much?''

"I hate who I am.'' I explained, my body slacking. I could feel the tension leave my shoulders as I spoke.

"I hate that I couldn't save Coe. It doesn't matter how many times you say I didn't kill her, I still feel like I did. I hate that I couldn't save Kiara. I hate that I've failed as a leader, when I should be thriving. I hate that none of the animals trust me, even though I've lived in Pride Rock for four fucking years. I hate that I was raised as an Outsider, and that's why no one trusts me. I hate the fact that my mother was Zira, but I can't change that. I wish I could but I can't, and I absolutely hate that. I hate who I am.''

Sarabi stared back at me, sorrow in her eyes. She didn't seem put off by my anger, or surprised. She seemed understanding. She seemed to sympathize with me, compared to everyone else, who just seemed to pity me. Could she…actually know what I was going through?

"You know, Simba once felt the same way about himself as you do,'' Sarabi stated, her tone sad. "He hated himself. Blamed himself for his father's death, even though it was Scar who killed him. Scar pinned the blame on Simba, made him feel guilty. But Simba stopped hating himself when he found out the truth.''

I paused, trying to take all this in. Simba had felt this way before? Why didn't he ever tell me? Sarabi continued her speech:

"You have to forgive yourself Kovu. It was not your fault. You did your best. Let go of the past.''

I sucked in a breath, gasping as I felt the air go into my lungs. It felt great to breathe again. As I let the air travel through my lungs and exit my mouth, I felt the pan leave me. I felt the guilt exit my body through that one breath. I choked a little bit, and swallowed, coming to my senses. I felt my body stop trembling, I felt myself calm down. I reached over and dabbed at my eyes, wiping the tears away. I felt my eyes sting as I did this. Out of the corner of my eye, I heard Sarabi speak up, loud and clear.

"Do you feel better?''

I smiled at her. Really smiled. I didn't give her one of those fake smiles, the ones I always gave people when I wanted them to turn around and shut the fuck up. For the first time since this whole ordeal, I felt happy. Genuinely happy. I felt like a huge weight had just been lifted off my shoulders. Sarabi smiled at me. She looked out at the sun and stared at it through the hills.

"Let's go hunt.''


	9. Chapter 9

I nodded and followed Sarabi down Pride Rock. I felt a huge relief as I headed down the kingdom. I walked with a grace now, a certain spring in my step that hadn't been there before. I was happy again. For the first time in months, I felt like myself again. I smiled to myself as my paws hit the cold dirt.

I continued following Sarabi's lead as she went up to meet the lionesses to discuss where they would go hunting. I trailed behind her, keeping an eye out for Kiara. Sarabi turned to me as she approached the group.

"You don't have to trail behind me,'' she said with a soft smile. I smiled back at her, my green eyes shimmering in the sunlight.

"Maybe I just want to protect you,'' I said, my eyes never leaving her face. Sarabi smirked at me.

"I don't need protection,'' she teased, and galloped over to where the lionesses were gathering. I smirked. Classic Sarabi. Always wanting to be strong and selfless. She reminded me of Kiara in that way. I stepped further towards the lionesses as they noticed I was coming. They quickly stopped talking, and stood up straight as I approached them.

"Good evening ladies,'' I said politely, my tone serious. I wanted them to understand that I took this situation seriously.

"Good evening sir,'' the lionesses said in unison as they stared straight at me, ever breaking eye contact. I gave them a wide smile, showing off my white teeth. The lionesses stared at me, waiting for me to say something. Since they were waiting for me to speak, I decided to break the silence.

"I would like to join you on your hunt, if that would be alright.'' I heard gasps and I immediately heard hushed whispers among the lionesses. The king was coming with them on their hunt? That's when they knew this was serious. The king never accompanied the lionesses on their hunt unless it was for a dire reason.

Sarabi looked up at me, her blue eyes somber and earnest. I nodded back at her, feeling my shoulders become a little heavy. This was my pride, and they almost got killed. It was my responsibility to step up as a leader and defend them. I watched in silence as the coalition huddled up, talking amongst themselves. After a few seconds of gathering, they broke apart and turned to face me. Sarabi was about to speak but someone cut her off:

"I would love it if you went with us.'' I looked over to find Kiara standing there, a small smile on her face. I smiled back at her.

"Well, if you're ok with that,'' I said, not breaking eye contact with Kiara "then I'm ok with that.'' Kiara's eyes were flashing bright, something that happened when she was really happy.

"You already know the answer to that,'' she said sweetly, and turned away from me. I glanced over at the rest of the coalition, who was staring at me.

"Well,'' I said, staring back at the lionesses "what are you waiting for? Let's go get something to eat.'' The lionesses cheered and a second later, they were racing off into the sunset.

"Kovu,'' Kiara said just as I was about to run. I turned to her, wondering what she had to say. Kiara smiled at me, her eyes gleaming. She ran up to me and playfully hit me. I snickered and hit her back. Kiara reached over and bit my ear.

"C'mon,'' she said, her tone light. "I'll race you.'' I laughed again.

"I'll beat you,'' I said, my arrogant streak making a triumphant return. Kiara laughed and ran off. I laughed and ran after her. It was so on.

Kiara and I stopped running once we caught up to the rest of the herd. We doubled over in pain, struggling to breathe. We looked up at each other. I smiled at Kiara; she smiled back.

We stood there together, breathing hard. I heard someone clear their throat behind me and I spun around to find Sarabi staring at us, her blue eyes sparkling.

"Ready to find some gazelle?'' she asked, her tone playful yet competitive. Kiara and I nodded at her. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw something dart past me. It was just a flash of yellow; if I blinked, I would've missed it.

I looked around me, searching for the culprit. I felt a familiar feeling come over me; one of fear, of anxiety, of uncertainty. I recognized that yellow flash. My mind quickly began going into overdrive, trying to figure out who that could've been. Wait a second I thought Are we-? I scanned the area around us and I felt my heart leap into my throat. We were in the Outsiders' territory. Shit.

Just as I was starting to realize where we were at, I felt someone tackle me to the ground. I slammed into the ground, hard, groaning as I did so. I tried to stand up but the person who had tackled me pulled me down. "Stay down Kovu!''

I recognized the voice as Kiara. I glanced over my shoulder and locked eyes with her. She looked scared; her red eyes were blazing with fear. "Kovu, get down,'' she hissed. Just as I was trying to process everything, I saw one of our fly through the air, smacking head first into the ground.

I heard a scream and I looked over to find Kiara pinned to the ground, a huge smirk practically splitting Rana's face in two. I stood up but just as I was getting up, I felt a searing pain shoot through my back, travelling all the way from my back to the bottom of my feet. I tried to move but I found myself unable to do so. I didn't have to turn around to know who it was; it was Reiko I felt myself struggling to breathe as I heard Reiko whisper in my ear

"You're mine now.'' Then he tore his claws out of my back. I cried out in pain and I fell onto the ground, feeling blood pour of my back. I tried to move but I felt too weak. I had no energy left. I have to beat him I thought. I have to.

That was when I heard the shaking.


	10. Chapter 10

I ran as fast as I could. Rana glanced over at me as I ran. Out of the corner of the eye, I saw Rana furrow his eyebrows at me in confusion. I looked straight ahead as I ran. I had to get out of here before-I stopped in my tracks as soon as I heard the ground shake. I heard gasps around me and I spun around just in time to dodge Rana's attack. Rana hit the ground with a snarl before rolling and standing up.

He looked at me, hatred burning in his eyes. I glared back at Rana, refusing to back down. Just as it looked like Rana was about to pounce, the elephants came. They came in like missiles, darting through the grass and blocking the Outsiders from attacking.

I cried out in fear as I saw a gigantic elephant foot hurdling towards me. I shot to my right, trying to make sure I didn't get crushed. I hid in the grass, hoping no one would follow me. I heard the elephants let out their mighty cry as they passed me. I looked around me, trying to find someone I knew. Dust was flying in the air, obscuring my vision. I did my best to scan through the crowd but found no one.

Suddenly I heard someone cry "Kovu.'' I jumped hearing my name and whipped around to find myself face-to-face with Kiara. Kiara stared back at me, her ruby eyes shining. I swallowed, trying to catch my breath. Kiara looked over her shoulder, making sure no one was around us. She looked back at me, a determined look on her face.

"Come on,'' She said "Let's go back to Pride Rock. They won't be able to catch us.''

"Right now?'' I asked, feeling my heart rate pick up. It was now or never.

Next to me, I heard the elephants whine

"Come on,'' Kiara repeated, urgency I her voice.

"Wait. What about everyone else?'' I asked, fear in my voice. Was she even thinking straight?

"I told Sarabi to get everyone to Pride Rock. They'll meet us there. Let's go.''

I nodded and Kiara took off running. This might sound strange, but I forgot how fast Kiara was. I was tired from my brief fight with Rana, and I wasn't really feeling like running six miles right now.

Right now she was almost passing me. I picked up my speed and started increasing my strides. I had to keep up with her. We had to get home before the Outsiders got to us. If we got home in time, we could hopefully form a strategy, an attack plan to counteract the Outsiders' plan.

As we got closer to Pride Rock, I could feel my anxiety continue to build. I was nervous. We had to get here on time. I felt my breathing become labored as we got closer. By the time we got back home, my lungs were aching and my chest was heaving. Kiara and I ran until we got right outside our cave.

We came to a startling halt, both of us gasping for air. For a few minutes, I could hear nothing but the sound of my own breathing. It hurt to breathe; every time I breathed, I felt as if my lungs would collapse. I felt as if I was a second away from dying. I glanced over at Kiara, who looked just as tortured. I saw something yellow out of the corner of my eye and I gasped when I realized who it was. It was Timon. Pumbaa, however, was nowhere in sight.

"Timon, what are you doing? Where's Pumbaa?'' I gasped, wincing as my throat clenched. Timon blinked and stared me in the face.

"He's in the back with Sarabi,'' he explained. I looked behind Timon. I saw Pumbaa and Sarabi conversing in the background. I looked over at Timon, who was still standing there.

"Is there something you have to say? " I asked, my mane falling in front of my face. I threw my head back, tucking my mane behind my ear. Timon looked at me.

"Reiko's coming after us, isn't he?'' Timon asked. I nodded curtly. No shit.

"Tell me something I don't know,'' I drawled to Timon. Timon's face paled, looking terrified.

"Well, the lionesses are here-'' Timon began but I cut him off.

"And?'' I asked, not having time for Timon's rather obvious explanation. I was hoping for a different answer.

"Reiko's coming to attack us. What are we going to do?'' I asked, my tone cutting through any bullshit Timon might have to offer. Timon straightened his posture and looked me in the eye.

"Look Kovu, buddy, it's not looking so good.'' Timon said, his tone sad and defeated. "Reiko and his pride are coming over here. We have to come up with a plan.'' My eyes widened at this idea. Perfect.

"Timon, you and Pumbaa distract him.'' I darted towards Vitani. I had a plan.

"Good idea. Wait, how?'' Timon narrowed his eyes at me as I ran towards the lionesses.

"I don't know. Think of something.'' I yelled back as I headed towards the lionesses. I had to get ready for the final battle with Reiko. I ran right up to Vitani.

"Vitani,'' I said hurriedly, watching her eyes lock on mine as soon as I said her name. Her face was one of complete seriousness; jaw set, eyes narrow, ears perked up, mouth formed into a line. Vitani knew what I had to say was important.

"Can you help gather all the lionesses together for the final battle with Reiko?'' I asked.

We sat there, waiting for Reiko to show up. I stared ahead, preparing myself for what was to come. My claws were out and I was crouched in a fighting position, waiting for my chance. I heard a rustle to my left and my eyes shot over there, eager to see if someone was over there.

The grass rustled, but no one came forward. When Reiko struck, I was going to be prepared this time. I had no fucks left to give. I was going to _kill_ him.

I heard a familiar rattle behind me and I cocked my head to see Rafiki behind me, a wide smile on his face. Despite the harsh circumstances, I found myself cracking a smile. After today, we'd recover. Things will start looking up for us.

"Rafiki. What are you doing here?'' I asked, instantly regretting my words as soon as I said them aloud. I probably sounded like an asshole right now. I always ended up saying stupid shit when I was nervous. To my surprise, Rafiki laughed at my response.

"Oh Kovu,'' he laughed, shaking his head. "I am here for you. I just wanted to let you know that I'm here for you.'' His words hit me like a ton of bricks. For the first time, the situation felt real. Before this, it hadn't felt real. For some reason, hearing Rafiki say it out loud made it real for me. This was life or death. I might not come back. I struggled to fight back tears. This was all too real now. This could be the end of my life. This could be the last time I see Kiara alive. I heard Rafiki speak up.

"Relax child. Mufasa's watching after you. He'll keep you safe.'' I smiled at Rafiki. He was always so positive, even when everything else was negative.

"Don't worry," I said, starting to feel confident again. "I'll get Reiko.''

"You sure about that?'' A familiar drawling voice said from behind me. I instantly felt panic instantly push through my body. I heard some of the lionesses gasp and I turned around just in time to see Reiko tackle me.

I heard cries of anguish and roars as I slammed into the ground, feeling my head spin. I struggled against Reiko, trying to throw him off me. Reiko leaned forward and sneered at me.

"Now whose the real winner?'' he taunted. I snarled, reached over, and bit his nose. Reiko backed away and howled in pain. I put my paws on his belly and kicked behind me, sending Reiko flying through the air. Reiko crashed into the ground, slamming into one of the nearby rocks.

I heard roars of anger as Reiko struggled to get up. I looked over to my right and saw Kiara and Rana stare each other down. I looked around to see Reiko's pride surround mine. I growled. It was on.

Reimo finally managed to get up, grunting as he did so. He glared at me and I glared back. We both knew how this was going to end.

"You better be prepared to die because the least you'll get from me is a torn-out eye.'' I heard the venom in his voice as he spoke. He meant every single word. His tone was set and his voice was shaking. He was pissed.

I laughed. I actually laughed. It was a hard, cold, merciless, laugh. I shouldn't be laughing right now, given the severity of the situation. But I couldn't help it. It was so fucking funny. That was the best he could come up with? Try me buddy.

I saw Reiko's eyes narrow and his eyebrows furrowed in anger. He was seething now.

"You think you can fight me?'' He growled, his voice going down an octave. I smirked. I spent my whole life fighting. I was _not_ going to be scared of him. Reiko roared at me. I roared back. A challenge. A fight to the death. This was it. This was the final battle.

"Attack!'' Reimo cried out to his pride. His pride roared as they darted towards the lionesses. Vitani roared and led the lionesses toward the enemy. I stared Reiko down, waiting for him to make his last move.

Reiko darted forward, teeth bared, claws out, eyes blazing. Now!

I jumped as Reiko took his first swipe at me. This bought me a few seconds to deliver a swift kick to his face. Reiko growled, and swiped at my tail. I cried out in pain as Reiko claws through my tail. Shit. Fuck.

Reiko used this time to pounce on me. I roared as I felt Reiko land on top of me. As we hurled towards the ground, Reiko dug his claws into my back. I roared in pain, feeling blood run down my spine. Motherfucker! Not again!

I struggled to get Reiko off of me. Get the fuck off of me I thought Get off. I rolled over and Reiko snarled as I did so. Use your claws I thought Use your fucking claws

I reached behind me and slashed Reiko across his face. Reiko screamed and I kicked behind me, sending Reiko back to the ground. I yelped as I felt his claws tear out of my back. I felt myself gasp as I turned around to face him. Dammit.

Reiko lunged at me again but I ducked. Reiko smacked headfirst into the ground. He swiped at me again, but I jumped back. Reiko ran at me but I moved out of the way again, sinking my claws into the back of his head. Reiko let out a cream of horror as I did this. I tore my claws out, barely feeling the pain due to the adrenaline running through my body. Reiko turned to me, his body shaking with rage.

"You fight dirty,'' he growled. "It's not fair.''

"Fair?'' I taunted, smiling again "It was never going to be fair when it was me against you.'' Reiko's eyes widened, and he lunged at me again, this time knocking me down. I quickly flipped us over, with me being on top this time. Reiko growled at me in frustration

"I'm can't wait to split that handsome face of yours in two,'' he spat.

"Love to see you try.'' I sneered, and did something I had never done before in a fight. I bent down and clamped my teeth on his throat.

Reiko let out a strange sort of scream that was half-muffled due to my mouth being around his neck. I clamped down hard, refusing to let go. I winced as I felt myself tear through flesh. Reiko sat there, horrified at what I was doing.

I grunted as I tore through Reiko's flesh, ignoring the smell of blood. I didn't see the claw towards me. In all hindsight I should've but I didn't; I was too focused on trying to kill Reiko. I gasped when I felt a sharp pain to the back of my head and I screamed, pulling away from Reiko. I felt Reiko pull his claws out of the back of my head and I let out a bloodcurdling scream.

I backed away in pain, feeling my head begin to sting. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I suddenly felt a sharp pain across my chest and doubled over. I looked down to see blood dripping from my chest. Shit. Reiko went for the jugular this time. I tried to use my paws to protect myself but Reiko slashed my wrists. I screamed in pain. Fuck.

I tried to think but I couldn't. It was hard to think when I was beginning to lose concentration. Motherfucker I thought as I just barely dodged out of the way from having my face slashed in two by Reiko. I examined the bite that I had made on Reimo's fur. Shit. I had barely grazed him. The cut was superficial, not deep.

Reiko lunged at me again, and this time, I couldn't react fast enough. I grunted as he tackled me one last time and I felt my head smack into the rock behind me. I couldn't even groan; I was too stunned. Reiko held his arm up, smirking at me.

"What were you saying about winning again?'' He taunted, raising his arm. I felt my heart begin to race. No. I had lost. I had lost and I was about to get killed. Reiko raised his arm to dealt the final blow. I closed my eyes, preparing for my death. However, it never came. A few seconds after closing my eyes, I heard Reiko scream. A truly horrific, godawful scream. My eyes shot open as I realized what had happened; Kiara had plunged her claws into Reiko's eyes. Blood was pouring out of his eyes like a fountain.I stood there, too afraid to move. What the fuck was I seeing?

Reiko stood there, paralyzed with fear. Kiara turned to me, an urgent look on her face.

"Now'' she screamed. I knew what I had to do. I lifted my arm and swung. My claws cut through flesh and I felt the anger in me dissipate as I knew what I had just done; I had killed Reiko. Reiko stopped screaming, and remained perfectly still. Kiara pulled her claws out of Reiko's eyes, and he fell to the ground, dead.

I looked up at Kiara, my heart pounding in my chest. "Where are the others?''

"They're with Rafiki. They killed the rest of Reiko's pack.''

"And Timon and Pumbaa?'' Kiara smirked at me.

"They're safe. They distracted Reiko's pride and then our lionesses ambushed them. They didn't stand a chance.'' I smiled at Kiara. My heart was filled with happiness. It was over now. The war had been won.

"How did they distract them?'' I asked. Now I really wanted to know how Timon and Pumbaa had done to distract Reiko's pride. Kiara's smirk widened into a smile.

"They have their ways.''

After dumping the bodies of Reiko and his pride into the river, Kiara and I spent some time alone together out in the lands. The rest of the pride had left ot see if there were any leftovers(thankfully, there were) while Timon and Pumbaa had followed Rafiki, who was going to try to teach them how to cook. I laughed to myself. That should be fun.

Kiara and I walked together, talking amongst themselves.

"Timon and Pumbaa learning how to cook? That's going to be hysterical.'' I shook my head. I could just imagine Timon and Pumbaa panicking as their dinner literally melted in front of them. I cracked a smile and shook my head again.

"God, what a long day.'' Kiara remarked, looking up at the sky. I looked up at the sky as well and smiled. Today had bee long. From forgiving myself to killing Reiko, today had truly been exhausting. I yawned. I was going to bed right after I ate. I had no more energy left; I was just barely hanging on to what Kiara was saying. Kiara beamed at me, eyes glowing.

"Ready to go to bed?'' She asked, her voice huskier than usual. I chuckled. She knew me so well.

"Yeah,'' I admitted "I am.''

Kiara continued smiling at me before looking up at the night sky. I peered back up at her. Just as I was taking in Orion's belt, I remembered something.

"Hey, remember when you first met me?'' I asked Kiara, turning to look at her face. Kiara looked ta me, her face smug.

"How could I forget that?'' she asked, starting to sound just as tired now. I smiled at her.

"Remember when you told me about the Great Kings of The Past and how they were watching over us?''

"Hmm.'' Kiara stared at me, waiting for my response.

"I was just thinking, what if Simba's up there?'' I saw Kiara's face fall from one of glee to one of sorrow. It had been painful for her when Simba had died. His death had hurt both of us. I saw Kiara's eyes water but she held them back, refusing to cry in front of me.

"I was just thinking,'' I explained "do you think Simba's proud of me, after everything I've done?'' I saw Kiara's face fall when she said that. I don't know why but it still hurt to think about it. My heart hurt when I spoke those words but I believed them. I was hurting because I knew even though I had done my best to save the pride and the Pridelands, I would never be able to hear Simba say it.

"Kovu, I think he would be very proud,'' Kiara spoke up, her voice sounding softer than usual. "You did everything you could.''

"I know, it's just- it just hurts to know I won't be able to hear him say it.'' L looked down at the ground, something I always did when I was upset. Kiara reached over and nuzzled my chin. I nuzzled her back. I loved when she did that. It was so soft, so warm. It was such an intimate moment between us, a rare moment of privacy.

"Come on, let's go back to the pride,'' Kiara said, her voice sounding far away. I nodded at her. Yeah that sounded good.

"Let's go eat before Timon and Pumbaa steal all the food.'' Kiara explained. I laughed again, really laughed. Those two were too much.

"I'll race you,'' Kiara said,

"Oh ok,'' I said, narrowing my eyes at her. The great Kiara wanted to race me back to Pride Rock. So be it. Kiara took off and I took off after her. As I ran, I thought about everything that had happened. All the pain, all the bloodshed, all the sorrow. That was all gone now. I might never be able to bring Coe back, but I can accept that it wasn't my fault.

As I ran, I only had positive thoughts. I was looking ahead today. New day, new Kovu. Simba would be proud of me.


End file.
